A Long Road Ahead
by Pat-Bennett99
Summary: Artie, Finn, and Puck join the army, leaving Brittany, Quinn, and Santana behind with their kids. Read and review. Glee future-fic
1. Chapter 1

**A new story. Hope you guys like it.**

"What do you mean you joined the army?" Quinn said, getting into Finn's face as he walked into their house.

"_Not the reaction I expected_." Finn said in his head.

"Do you not realize that you can be killed? Are you going to take that chance?" Quinn said as she continued to bitch him out.

"No I did-" Finn tried to say but was interrupted by Quinn again.

"If you go overseas, what will I do?" Quinn asked.

"Quinn, relax! I'm not going to get killed and I'll write to you every day and try to get on the computer." Finn said, reassuring her.

"I don't believe it. What possessed you to do this? We were going to start a family." Quinn said, starting to cry.

"_Oh geeze._" Finn said in his head.

"I'm not going to die! We can start a family." Finn said as he continued to reassure his wife.

Finn and Quinn got married after they spent five years dating in college. They've been married for five months and live in a small apartment complex outside of Lima.

"Do you not love me?" Quinn asked, thinking of anything to make Finn feel guilty.

"Yes, I love you. Why can't you just trust me for a change?" Finn said as he went into their bedroom.

"Because joining the military is dangerous and I'm not ready to lose you." Quinn said, leaning against the door frame.

"You're not going to lose me, I promise!" Finn said for the last time.

Quinn stood there speechless. She couldn't say anything else to make him stay.

"Well, when do you leave?" Quinn asked.

"I leave for basic training in two weeks." Finn said as he left the bed room and walked back into their living room.

"Is it just you?" Quinn asked.

"No, Puck and Artie are enlisting too. So I won't be alone." Finn said as he kissed Quinn on the cheek.

"I trust your life in Artie's hands, but not Puck's." Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Finn said.

* * *

"Brittany, can I talk to you about something?" Artie said as he ate his dinner.

"Sure babe. What's up?" Brittany said, as she fed her baby son.

"What would you say if I joined the army?" Artie asked, looking at her.

"I'd say you're a dumbass and I'll kill you myself." Brittany said as she continued to feed her baby.

"Oh, well it's a good thi-" Artie said before being interrupted.

"You're not going into the army, are you?" Brittany asked, turning towards him.

"Well, I was considering it." Artie said as he took another bite of his food.

"Absolutely not! Artie, you have a son now." Brittany said as she stood up.

"But baby, I'll be okay." Artie said as he tried to reassure her.

"That's not the point. You'll be in a whole new country, away from me and your son. How will you manage to be with us if you're over there?" Brittany asked.

"They have video computers, so I can see you both and talk to you." Artie said, cleaning up the kitchen table.

"Are you sure? I just don't want anything to happen to you." Brittany said, holding their baby.

"I'll be fine. I promise." Artie said as he kissed his wife.

Brittany and Artie have been together since their sophomore year in high school. While Artie graduated from Miami (OH) University, Brittany had to stay at home to raise their baby. He accidently impregnated Brittany their freshman year when she came up and visited Artie. Their junior year, Artie felt the urge to propose to her. Luckily for him, Brittany agreed and moved in with him as he bought a house on campus. Once Artie graduated, he and his wife moved to the opposite outskirts of Lima.

"I just don't want to be a widow with a baby." Brittany said as she picked up their son and burped him.

"You won't. Besides, I'll be with Puck and Finn anyways. They won't let anything happen to me." Artie said with a smile.

"I'd be more worried about Puck then I would with anyone else." Brittany said with a small laugh.

"Good point. Finn will be there and won't let anything happen to me." Artie said with a grin.

"Alright, alright. Well when do you leave?" Brittany asked, refocusing.

"Two weeks then I go to Basic Training." Artie said as he kissed both Brittany and their son.

Still unsure on how she felt, Brittany nodded her head and gave him a fake smile. Giving the baby to Artie, Brittany went outside to cry a little.

* * *

"Hey Santana, can you grab me a beer out of the fridge?" Puck said as he lounged on the couch and watched TV.

"You lazy asshole." Santana said as she handed him the beer.

"Love you." Puck said as he twisted the cap and took a sip.

Puck and Santana moved in together after he got her pregnant after their senior year. Since then, Puck attended community college, while Santana stayed at home and took care of their baby girl. Five years later, Puck now works at an auto-shop, while Santana works as a secretary and their 5 year old is in kindergarten. He's considered asking Santana to marry him, but never found the right moment. Puck had more important news to tell her.

"Hey Santana, can you come back in here for a moment? I need to talk to you about something." Puck yelled as he turned to ESPN.

"What is it now?" Santana said, storming into the room.

"Sit down. This is going to be hard to say." Puck said, turning off the TV and turned to her.

Santana, unsure what he was going to say, sat down. Their daughter ran in and sat next to her.

"_Crap. Now my daughter's going to here this?_" Puck said in his head, taking a sip of his beer.

"Well?" Santana said, rushing him.

"Okay okay. Well, I'm joining the army. I leave in two weeks." Puck said, standing up.

Santana sat in silence. She couldn't move or speak, because she was in shock. Their daughter ran up to Puck and gave him a hug.

"I love you, daddy." She said with a smile.

"Aw I love you too, baby girl. Go play for a few minutes while I talk to mommy." Puck said with a smile as his daughter ran off. "Santana? Are you okay?" He asked as he sat next to Santana.

Santana, finally coming around, looked at him and slapped him square in the face.

"How the Hell can you join the army? Is your codename for breaking up with me?" Santana asked, screaming at him.

"No, I'm not breaking up with you! I'm going into the army because I'm sick of working in the auto-shop and want to do something with me life." Puck said, screaming back.

"You'll get yourself killed! Besides, you have a daughter in case you've forgotten!" Santana said.

"I'll be fine! I'm going with Finn and Artie!" Puck said back.

"Oh great, you're going with a stupid guy and a nerd. That will work out great." Santana said.

"Don't talk to my friends like that. I'm sick of you never supporting my choices." Puck said, walking away.

"Why should I? You got me pregnant!" Santana said.

Puck went outside and started smoking.

"_Can't wait to get out of here for a change._" He said to himself as he enjoyed the summer Ohio night.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys for the great reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter.**

Puck was still smoking outside when he received a text. Artie wanted to see if he and Finn wanted to grab a drink. Puck texted back, saying he'd love to grab a drink, as long as he could get out of the house. He went inside and grabbed his car keys, avoiding Santana as Puck walked to his car.

* * *

Finn sat in his chair when he got the text from Artie. Making sure Quinn wasn't around, he agreed to go. Finn quickly grabbed his keys and left his apartment. He hopped into his car and headed to the bar.

* * *

Artie already left his apartment when he sent the text. Brittany said she needed time to herself, so she told Artie to go get a drink or two. Artie met Puck and Finn as he walked inside.

The three of them sat a table and ordered 3 Guinness's to start off with. They began talking about what they did since high school. Puck told them how he had to go to community college after he knocked Santana up, but now works at an auto-shop and hates it. Artie told them how he knocked Brittany up, but managed to have a successful college experience. He told them about his wedding as well. Finn sipped on his beer, hiding the fact that he wasn't a father yet.

"Come on Finn, what did you do since college?" Puck said as he gulped his beer.

"Well, umm, Quinn and I got married. We've been married for five months now." Finn said as he began taking gulps of his beer.

"What's wrong with that? The married life is great, right Puck?" Artie said with a laugh.

"I'm not married, numb nuts. Santana and I are dating." Puck said with a grin.

"Enough about this marriage talk. We're going to Basic Training in 2 weeks. What I want to know is what made us decide to go to the army in the first place." Finn said, shaking his head.

"Well, I can't stand being at home anymore. Santana's driving me crazy. She flipped a shit when I told her that I enlisted." Puck said, as he slammed his mug on the table.

"Well if it helps, Quinn thinks that because I'm joining, I don't love her. What she doesn't know is that I'm following in my dad's footsteps. He was a Marine and now I'm becoming one." Finn said as he held his mug in his hand.

"_Rest in peace dad_." Finn said in his head as he took a sip.

"What about you, Artie? Why did you join?" Puck asked.

"Simple…I wanted to make a name for myself. Throughout high school, I was that awkward crippled kid, but now that I had surgery and can walk again, I'm ready to do something with my life." Artie said proudly.

"What about Brittany and your son?" Finn asked.

"Well, I mean Brittany hated the idea at first, but I think she's accepted it. It'll be hard leaving my son behind though." Artie said as he looked at the table.

"Just think though. In 3 months, we'll be locking and loading." Puck said with a grin as he pumped his imaginary shotgun.

Artie and Finn laughed as they signaled the waitress for three more beers. The three continued to talk about their lives and how excited they were to finally join the army. Artie made the joke that Puck would be the only one of the three to step off of the plane and go gun crazy. Finn laughed in agreement as he downed another beer. Puck, embarrassed by their joke, said that Artie wouldn't even see action.

"_God I hope I don't_." Artie said to himself as he drank more of his beer.

After a few more drinks, they were called home.

* * *

"Where were you?" Santana asked as Puck walked inside.

"I was out with Finn and Artie." Puck said, throwing his keys on the table.

"You had me worried sick! You didn't tell me where you went." Santana yelled at him.

"I'm sorry. I'll make sure I'll tell you everywhere I go!" Puck said, getting angry.

"Damn right, you will." Santana said, calming down.

"_Crazy bitch_." Puck said under his breath as he walked into their room.

"So I was thinking. I think it's great that you'll be overseas. If it's something you want to do, then I have no choice but to support you." Santana said, leaning against the door.

"You're fine with me joining the army then?" Puck said as he turned around and looked at her.

"I don't love the idea, but I can't make you not go." Santana said as she walked over and hugged him.

"_That's right. No one tells me what I can and can't do._" Puck said in his head as he hugged Santana.

After they finished hugging, they crawled into bed. Giggling, Santana climbed on top of Puck and started kissing him passionately.

"I love you." She whispered in his ear.

* * *

"Finn, are you drunk?" Quinn asked as Finn stumbled inside. She can smell the alcohol on his breath as he slowly put his car keys on the table.

"Me? Slightly but I'm fine." Finn said as he stumbled towards their bed room.

"You are drunk. You just love making me upset, don't you?" Quinn said as she followed him.

"Relax already! I know you're upset about me going, but I want to do it for my dad." Finn said as he jumped into bed.

"Your dad's with your mom." Quinn said, having no idea who he was talking about.

"Burt Hummel is not my dad. My real dad died when I was a kid." Finn said, turning his head.

"I thought your real dad left your mom for some hooker in Las Vegas." Quinn said as she sat on the bed next to him.

"No, that was my mom's cover up. I figured out he died when I read the letter that she kept on the nightstand of her bed." Finn said, burying his head into his pillow.

"Finn, I'm so sorry. If I knew this before, I would've been more understanding." Quinn said as she hugged Finn.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to do this for him." Finn said with a smile.

"I know." Quinn said, still hugging him.

* * *

"Artie, I'm sorry for overreacting earlier. It's just…I don't want to lose you. You're my whole world." Brittany said as Artie sat down next to her on their bed.

"No, don't be sorry. I should've told you sooner. I just couldn't find it in me to say it." Artie said as he lay back on his bed.

"Do you promise to write everyday at least?" Brittany asked as she lay next to him.

"Of course and I'll try to video message you as well." Artie said with a smile.

"You better or I'll come over there and kill you myself." Brittany said with a laugh as she cuddled with him.

"Don't worry, I will!" Artie said as he kissed her on the forehead.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always great.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you guys for reading and reviewing. Hope you guys like this chapter.**

The next weekend and a half wasn't any easier for the guys. They made it over the first hump by telling their wives and girlfriends about them joining the army, but now they had to tell their parents too. Finn had it easier then the other two. He drove over to the Hummel's and walked inside.

"Finn, what are you doing here?" His mom said with a smile, as she walked over and hugged him.

"Hey mom, I need to talk to you about something. It's big." Finn said, hugging his mom back.

"Sure, what is it? Did you get Quinn pregnant? Am I going to be a grandma? Oh Finn!" His mom said happily.

"No mom. Quinn's not pregnant. Here, sit down. It's going to be easier." Finn said, as Burt walked into the room.

"Hey sport. What's up?" Burt said with a smile.

"Hey Mr. Hummel. I was just going to tell my mom something." Finn said as he looked over at him.

"Finn, come on. We've been a family since you were in high school. At least call me Burt." He said as he walked over to Finn's mom.

"Alright…Burt. So anyways, mom…Burt. I, um, I'm joining the army. I go to Basic Training in a few days." Finn said proudly.

At first, neither his mom nor Burt wanted to say anything. They just looked at each other and then back at Finn.

"Finn, are…are you sure this is what you want? Being in the army is not easy." Burt said, standing up.

"Yeah, I want to do this for my dad." Finn said, looking at his mom.

"Honey, you could be killed." His mom said, looking back at him.

"I'll be fine, mom. I promise." Finn said with a smile.

"Well, I'm proud of you. Defending our country is an awesome achievement. Good luck." Burt said, leaving the room.

"Mom, I'll come home." Finn said, kneeling in front of his mom.

"Then take this." His mom said, taking off her necklace. Finn didn't notice, but dog tags were attached to it.

Finn held the dog tags in his hands, running his fingers across his dad's name.

"Your dad wanted you to have them, but I couldn't find the moment to give them to you, until now." His mom said with a smile.

"Thanks mom." Finn said as he hugged his mom.

"Make me proud out there." She said as she hugged Finn tightly.

"I will." Finn said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

Artie's experience about telling his parents wasn't too bad, at least he hoped. He went to his parents for dinner, with Brittany and their son, hoping it'd be a normal dinner.

"Artie, Brittany. Come on in!" Artie's mom said with a smile.

"Hey mom. Dinner smells great." Artie said as he hugged his mom.

Brittany hugged his mom too, while Artie's mom made weird baby talk to their son.

"Hey dad." Artie said with a smile, as his dad put down the newspaper.

"Artie! It's been awhile." His dad said with a grin as he stood up and hugged his son.

"I know, I've been really busy." Artie said as he turned towards Brittany and their son.

"I can tell. But tells us all about it. Dinner's ready." He said as he lead Artie and the others to the table.

The four of them walked over and sat down. Brittany put their son in a booster seat and fed him Cheerios. The first time Brittany saw the box of Cheerios, she thought about her days as a cheerleader. Artie's dad brought out the food and placed it on the table. The four of them laughed and talked about random things, while getting some food in them. After dinner ended and Artie's mom did the dishes, with the help of Brittany, Artie thought it was the right time to tell his parents.

"Mom and dad, I need to tell you guys something important." Artie said, standing up from the kitchen table.

"What is it? Is Brittany pregnant again?" Artie's dad said with a laugh.

"No dad, she's not pregnant. It's a lot bigger then that." Artie said as he walked over to the counter so he could face his mom and dad.

"Well what is it?" His mom said, wiping the plates.

"I'm…going into the army. I leave in a few days for Basic Training." Artie said, looking at the floor.

"What? Artie, what made you do this?" Artie's dad said, standing up.

His mom, filled with shock, dropped a plate. It shattered completely as it hit the floor.

"What's the big deal? I'm a grown man. I think I can make my own choices." Artie said, looking at his mom and then back to his dad.

"You'll get killed. Do you not watch the news? There are roadside bombs and…and…I don't want you over there." His dad said, calming down a little bit.

"Dad, I'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen." Artie said as he walked over and helped clean up the broken plate.

Artie's mom continued to say nothing as she went back to cleaning the dishes. Brittany tried talking to her, but she remained speechless. After a few more attempts at keeping Artie from going, his dad finally gave in.

"Look, just promise me you'll look out for yourself when you're over there. You're our only son. Besides, you have a son of your own." Artie's dad said as he hugged his son.

"I will, dad. Don't worry. Make sure mom's alright though." Artie said as he grabbed his things.

Artie and his family left shortly after to go see Brittany's family, who lucky for Artie, was more worried then angry.

* * *

"You're doing what?" Puck's mom said as she looked up from her dinner.

"I'm joining the army." Puck said louder.

"The Hell you are. No son of mine is going to risk his life." Puck's dad said

"Noah, do you have a death wish for you? You have a 5 year old daughter and a girlfriend!" Puck's mom screamed.

"Why can't you accept that I'm no longer that little boy in high school? I'm a man." Puck said, standing up.

"Get out. I'm done with you. You'd rather spend your life being a juvenile and now getting shot at, then spending it with your family." Puck's dad said, standing up and pointing to the door.

"Fine. This is the last time you'll see me, you hear that? As soon as I walk out of this door, I'm gone." Puck said, opening the front door.

After a few minutes, Puck walked out and slammed the door.

"_Fucking parents having no faith in me. I can't wait to get overseas now_." Puck said to himself as he hopped into his car.

Puck drove around for awhile until he went to a bar. After a few beers, he drove home.

"Hey babe." Puck said as he tossed his keys on the table.

"You're home already? How'd your parents take it?" Santana asked as she stood up and hugged him.

"They threw me out." Puck said

"Noah, I'm sorry. They just don't want you to get hurt." Santana said as she released him.

"They have a funny way of showing that." Puck said as his daughter came in.

"Hey daddy, look what I drew." His daughter said, showing Puck a picture of him in army clothes.

"Aw, thanks sweetie. I'll keep this with me always." He said as he picked her up and kissed her on the cheek.

* * *

A few days later, the three guys met at the airport with their girls. They were fully packed and ready to go.

"Stay safe and remember to write to me." Quinn said with tears as she kissed Finn.

"I will, babe. I love you." Finn said as he kissed her back.

"I love you." Brittany said as she kissed Artie.

"I love you too. Bye little guy." Artie said as he kissed Brittany and his son.

"Don't forget to try to write and get on the computer." Brittany said with tears, as she reminded Artie.

"I will." He said with a smile.

"Be safe, Noah Puckerman." Santana said, embracing Puck.

"I will, don't worry about me." He said as he kissed her.

"Bye daddy. Do you still have my picture?" Puck's daughter said as she hugged him.

"I have it right here." Puck said with a smile as he took the picture out of his pocket.

He bent over and hugged his daughter.

"_Passengers boarding the 3:15 flight to Columbia, South Carolina_." One of the staff members said over the intercom.

"That's us." Artie said hugging and kissing Brittany one last time.

Finn and Quinn kissed one last time, while Puck had a group hug with his family. The three of them gave the staff member their tickets and walked down the terminal together, leaving behind their family, who all broke down crying.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always great!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! You guys are awesome! Hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

As the three put their luggage in the compartments above them, they took their seats. The stewardess walked down the aisle and made sure everyone was safely secured before they took off. The captain came onto the intercom.

"Good evening folks. Thank you for flying Flight #493 to Columbia, South Carolina. The flight will take about 3 hours. We will experience some turbulence along the way." The captain said.

"Oh great. Just what I need right now." One of the passengers said behind Puck.

"You alright, Finn? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." Artie said with a laugh as he buckled himself in.

"Ye…yeah. I'm fine." Finn said, faking a smile.

"This is your first time flying, isn't it?" Artie said, laughing still.

"What? No, I'm flown sev-" Finn said as he was interrupted by the stewardess.

"Excuse me sir. You need to strap yourself in. We're about to take off." She said with a smile.

"Oh god." Finn said, getting paler and paler.

"Dude, relax. Nothing bad happens on a plane." Artie said as he leaned back in his chair, playing his I-pod.

Finn gave a reassuring smile as he bucked his seat belt and took out a book to read. Puck, who kept checking out the hot stewardess', turned on his I-pod and started lip-singing to Linkin Park. The plane backed out onto the run way and started to move. Finn started sweating as the plane picked up speed, until they finally took off.

* * *

"There they go." Santana said softly to her daughter, whose face was pressed against the window.

"When is daddy coming home?" Her daughter asked as she turned around.

"He'll be home in 2 months or so." Santana said as she placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"_I'll miss you, Puck_." Santana said to herself as she watched his plane gain more altitude.

Quinn broke down as she watched the plane. Santana had to help her up as tears poured down her cheeks. Even though it was only Basic Training, Quinn was scared for Finn. She didn't know what will happen to him or how he'll turn out when he comes home.

"Hey, it's okay. Quinn, Finn's going to be fine. Don't worry." Santana said as she hugged her.

Quinn tried to speak, but she continued to choke up. Brittany, on the other hand, smiled as she watched the plane. When she and Artie hugged one last time, Brittany slipped a picture of her and their son into his coat pocket. On the back of the picture, she wrote: "_Even when you're not here, we'll always be with you. I love you, baby. –Brittany_."

"There goes daddy." Brittany said as she kissed her baby son.

After waiting a few more minutes for the plane to disappear, the girls decided to get something to eat. Quinn slowly calmed down as they left the airport and headed to the restaurant.

* * *

"Excuse me sir. Can you tell your kid to stop kicking my seat?" Finn said as he turned around.

"I'm sorry. I'll tell him." The man said sarcastically as he went back to reading a magazine.

"Dude, relax. Take a nap or something." Puck said as he took out one ear phone.

"I would if that little demon behind me would stop kicking my seat." Finn said as he leaned back.

"_If the kid wasn't like 6 years old, I'd punch him square in the face_." Finn said to himself as he dozed off.

"Finally." Puck said as he put his ear piece back in.

* * *

Finn 'woke up' holding an M-16 and being yelled at by a man that looked oddly familiar. The man pointed for Finn to get into a Humvey and prepare to move out. Finn jumped in and grabbed hold of the turret sitting at the tope. Looking around the surrounding area, Finn could see nothing but rocky mountains and sand, lots and lots of sand. After waiting for a few more people to get into his vehicle, his group moved out. Finn could feel the heat against his face and the sun shining brightly with no trace of clouds in sight. As Finn continued to look around, he could hear several things whizzing past his head.

"Take cover!" One of the soldiers yelled as he began firing randomly at the mountains.

"Finn, start shooting!" The familiar man yelled as he too began firing at the mountains.

Before realizing what he was doing, Finn pulled the trigger and began spraying bullet after bullet. As he fired, explosions erupted all around him. Humveys were exploding; Transporting trucks erupted in flames; Soldiers were thrown into the air. Screams of agony could be heard over the whizzing of bullets flying overhead.

"Medic…someone get a medic…someone get me a God da-" A soldier tried to say before taking a bullet in the forehead.

"Keep firing! Don't let up!" The familiar man said.

Finn, who briefly was distracted by the wounded or dying men, turned and began firing back at the mountains where the bullets were coming from. He could see Taliban soldiers emerge from caves surrounding Finn's squad. Becoming oblivious to everything, Finn managed to hear the man cry out in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Finn, come here." The man said, firing around at the Taliban.

"Yes sir!" Finn said as he knelt down next to him to inspect the wound.

The man took a bullet straight into his lungs, filling them with blood. Coughing up blood, he pulled Finn closer.

"You made me proud, son." The man said with a smile.

"Dad?" Finn said, finally recognizing the man.

Finn's dad nodded violently as he lost all control of his body and died.

"Dad, no!" Finn said as he stood up and began firing his weapon at anything that moved in his way.

* * *

"Finn…Finn…HEY FINN! WAKE UP!" Artie said, shaking him until he woke up.

"What? What happened?" Finn said, rubbing his eyes as he looked around.

"You fell asleep for a change. We're here." Puck said as he stood up and opened their luggage compartment.

"I had the craziest dream." Finn said as he stood up and collected his things.

"I'm sure you did, Sir Snores-A-Lot." Artie said with a laugh as he followed.

After getting their things and exiting the plane, the guys walked down the terminal until they were met by two men in army uniforms. One of the soldiers was extremely muscular and clean shaven, while the other one was rather skinny and a tad scruffy.

"Are you Finn Hudson, Artie Abrams, and Noah Puckerman?" The muscular soldier asked.

The guys nodded their heads and saluted the two.

"Good, now follow us." The skinner soldier said as they led them outside and into the Fort Jackson Military Training van.

* * *

Back in Lima, Santana and Brittany took Quinn home after she almost fought a waitress at lunch. Quinn told them that she was calm, but when the waitress screwed up her order, Quinn threw her wine glass at her. Santana unlocked Quinn's apparent while Brittany led her inside. Santana's daughter held Brittany's son while their moms were helping Quinn.

"Just relax. Sit down and watch some TV, okay? Take your mind off things for awhile." Brittany said as she sat her down on the couch.

"Do you need anything else before we take off?" Santana asked softly.

"Can you guys please stay for awhile? I don't want to be alone." Quinn said as she began to cry again.

"Aw of course we'll stay." Brittany said, putting her arms around her and looking at Santana for help.

"Yeah, we'll stay with you." Santana said as she sat down next to Quinn.

"Thank you guys. *sniff* This means a lot to me." Quinn said, wiping her eyes.

"That's what friends are for." Brittany said with a smile

**

* * *

Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter.**

Artie, Finn, and Puck were driven thirty minutes outside of downtown Columbia to a grim looking facility. Barbed wire ran across the tops of the fences, which quickly reminded Puck of Juvenile Hall. Their van pulled up to a two story building with two soldiers fully dressed and armed patrolling the outside.

"Report inside to the secretary. She'll point you to where you go next." The skinnier soldier said as he opened their door.

The three nodded in agreement as they took their luggage and went inside, passing by the two patrolling soldiers, who turned and saluted them. Artie led the way down the long hallway. Both walls were filled with portraits of all the American Presidents and war heroes, from George Washington to Raymond Spruance. Finn stayed back a bit as he studied each picture closely.

"Finn, come on." Artie said as he looked back at Finn.

"Alright alright. Cool your jets." Finn said as he caught up.

The three finally walked up to the secretary's desk. The woman behind it scared them as she turned around. She wore a nametag that said Peggy on it. The woman had gray hair and three hairy moles that were visible on her neck and chin.

"May I help you?" Peggy said in a raspy voice.

"Um…yeah. We're here for basic training." Puck said, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Names…date of birth…current residence." Peggy said as she began to type on the computer.

"Noah Puckerman…1/21/87…Lima, Ohio." Puck said as he took a step aside.

"Artie Abrams…9/26/86…Lima, Ohio." Artie said as he moved out of the way.

"Finn Hudson…11/27/86…Lima, Ohio." Finn said.

Peggy finished typing and printed off their information. Grabbing three manila folders, she stamped the military emblem and stuffed the folders with their information.

"Go across the hall and get examined." Peggy said in her raspy voice as she pointed the direction.

Thanking her, the three walked away, snickering at her voice. Artie was the first to make it to the examining room. Giving the medical expert his documents, he followed the man behind the screening area. Following his instructions and instantly becoming uncomfortable, the man gave Artie a cup to pee in. Leaving Artie by himself, the man went to collect either Puck or Finn. Doing his business, Artie finished and handed the man his cup. Finn and Puck did the same. After the man finished their examine, he wrote down more information in their folders as he pointed them to their next examine. After a few hours of getting examined by different people, the three of them were cleared to begin Basic Training.

* * *

The last thing that they did before returning back to Peggy was getting a hair cut. For Puck, it was easy because he had his small mo-hawk. Artie was nervous because he never had a buzz before. After it was done and he looked in the mirror, he grew to like it. Finn, on the other hand, hated hair cuts. Ever since he was a kid, his mom made him get a bowl cut. However, in order to be in the army, Finn manned up and got his buzz cut, which he too grew to like. After thanking the barber, the three left and headed back to Peggy's

Walking back to Peggy, the three of them gave her their folder. Waiting to hear her talk, the three sat down on the bench across from her.

"Major Heyward, three new recruits are here for you. I repeat, Major Heyward, three new recruits are for you." Peggy said, ignoring Artie, Finn, and Puck, who continued to snicker at her voice.

After a few minutes, a big black guy pushed himself inside. He wore a drill instructors uniform with his hat almost covering his eyes. The man walked over to Peggy.

"Well hello Peggy. How are you doing today?" The man said softly with a smile.

"I'm great, sir. How are you?" Peggy asked with a smile, revealing a set of yellow teeth.

"Oh I'm great. I'll see you later." The man said as he turned around to face the guys.

"You must be the new recruits. Hi, I'm Major Heyward. What are your names?" He said with a smile.

"Hey Major Heyward. I'm Fi-" Finn tried to say as the man got in his face.

"I don't care who you are! You want to know why? Because when you're holding onto your weapon and your staring death in the eyes, you won't have time to get to know each other! You got that maggot?" Major Heyward screamed.

"Ye…ye…yes sir." Finn said, saluting the man.

"What was that, son?" Major Heyward said.

"Yes sir!" Finn yelled with confidence.

"That's more like it. Now, it is my job to whip you boys into shape over these next few months. If you boys follow my instructions, we'll get along quite nicely." Major Heyward said as he walked back and forth.

Puck started playing with his zipper.

"But if you begin to goof off, I'll make your time here Hell! Do you understand, punk?" He said, getting in Puck's face.

"It's Puck!" Puck said back.

"What did you say?" Major Heyward said, stepping back.

"I said my name's Puck...sir." Puck said, looking at the man.

"Drop down and give me 20." Major Heyward said pointing to the ground.

Puck dropped down and started doing push ups like they were nothing.

"_Thank god for doing these in football._" Puck said as he finished his 20 push ups.

"Now, before anything else happens, you three are to report to your barracks and then report to dinner at 1800 hours, do I make myself clear?" Major Heyward said, standing straight.

"Sir, yes sir!" The three said in unison as Major Heyward instructed them where to go.

"We can't eat for 1800 hours?" Finn said as he grabbed his things.

"1800 hours means 6 o'clock." Artie said with a laugh as he led the way to their barracks.

"It's going to be a long 2 months." Puck said as he followed.

* * *

"Quinn, are you okay in there? You've been in there for awhile." Santana said as she knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm almost done." Quinn yelled threw the door.

"_That bitch is going to be the death of me._" Santana said to herself as she walked into the living room, where Brittany was reading to her son and Santana's daughter.

"…And they lived happily ever after. The end." Brittany said with a smile as she closed the book.

"Mrs. Abrams, can you read another one?" Santana's daughter said, pulling on Brittany's shirt.

"Maybe some other time. It's getting late. Santana, do you mind if I take off? I need to put little Brian to bed or he'll be up all night." Brittany said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to make sure Quinn's alright and then take Rebecca home too. Goodnight." Santana said as she hugged Brittany.

"Goodnight. Bye Quinn. I'll see you tomorrow." Brittany yelled as she opened the front door.

"Bye Brittany." Quinn said as she emerged from the bathroom with her makeup running down her face.

"So are you alright?" Santana asked as she put her hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm great now. Thank you so much for staying with me today. Really, you and Brittany are amazing friends." Quinn said with a smile.

"We're always here for you." Santana said as she hugged her.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed. Call me tomorrow. You, Brittany, and I should go get some lunch or something." Quinn said.

"That sounds great! I'll let you know." Santana said with one more hug.

Santana grabbed her daughter's hand and walked out of Quinn's apartment and down to her car. Quinn watched Santana back out and leave the parking lot, leaving her all alone. Feeling depressed again, she went into the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of wine. Without using a glass, Quinn sat on her couch, turned to Desperate Housewives, and began drinking heavily until she passed out on the couch.

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	6. Chapter 6

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* * *

The next morning, Quinn woke up with the morning sun light shining in her eyes. Slowly sitting up on the couch, she looked at the time. Realizing that she told Santana that the three of them would go to lunch together, Quinn got up and hopped into the shower.

"_What happened last night?_" Quinn asked, as she started washing her hair.

After standing in the shower for what seemed like eternity, she got out and dried herself off. Wrapping a towel around her, Quinn checked her phone for the time.

"11:20? Holy crap. I need to call Santana." Quinn said.

She quickly got dressed and dialed Santana's number.

"Hello?" Santana said out of breath.

"Hey Santana, are we still on for going to lunch today?" Quinn asked cheerfully.

"Hell yeah! I'll call Brittany. How Breadsticks in say…half hour?" Santana said, collecting herself.

"Yeah that sounds great! I'll see you then." Quinn said cheerfully as she hung up.

She put on some makeup, kissed a picture of Finn that she had on the mantle, and headed towards Breadsticks.

* * *

Brittany was the first one to make it to Breadsticks. Pulling into the parking lot, she applied her make up and got out of her car. She picked Brian up out of his car-seat and carried himself.

"Hi, welcome to Breadsticks, just you two?" The lady at the front desk said.

"Five, please." Brittany said with a smile, as she followed the lady to their table.

"Your waitress will be with you shortly." The lady said with a smile as she placed the menus on the table.

"Thank you." Brittany said as she put her son in a booster seat.

"_I wonder how Artie's doing. My little military man_." Brittany said to herself as she laid some Cheerios in front of her son.

After waiting for a few minutes, Santana walked in with her daughter. Looking around, she found Brittany and Brian.

"Hey B. You look pretty today." Santana said with a smile as she walked over to her.

"You think so?" Brittany said with a laugh.

"Yeah. So about Quinn, we need to do something about her. I'm getting really worried about how she's holding up." Santana said.

"I know, but it's expected out of newly weds. When Artie and I got married, I didn't want him leaving or anything, but now I'm alright with it. Sure, I'm scared for him, but we've been married long enough that I trust him." Brittany said as she fed her son.

"Hopefully. I'm just afraid of what will happen if…well, you know." Santana said.

Quinn walked into the restaurant and quickly found Brittany and Santana.

"Hey guys, how are you!" Quinn said with a smile as she sat next to Brittany.

"We're great. How are you, is the question?" Santana said with a smile.

"Better. Thanks for staying with my last night. I love you guys." Quinn said as their waitress walked over.

"How's everyone doing today? I'm Kathy and I'll be your waitress today. Are you guys ready to order?" The preppy waitress said with a smile.

"Yeah, we're ready." Brittany said with a smile

Everyone gave Kathy their order and went back to talking.

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks." Kathy said with a smile as she walked back to the kitchen.

"So can I be upfront with you, girls?" Quinn asked.

"Of course, what's up?" Santana said with a smile.

"I'm scared. I know I'm overacting to this whole thing, but Finn's my husband." Quinn said.

"Quinny, its okay. We're all scared. Just don't think about it too much. Finn's going to be great. He has our men with him." Brittany said with a smile.

"Yeah, Q. Don't worry. I promise you that Finn's going to be fine, alright?" Santana said with a grin.

"Thanks guys. Really, you're amazing friends." Quinn said as Kathy came back with their drinks.

Everyone ordered their food and resumed their conversation. After Kathy brought their out to them, the girls started talking about random things, laughing as the day went on.

* * *

"Private, you call that clean? I said I want these barrels spotless." Major Heyward said, yelling at Artie, who was shining the gun barrels in the Ammunition Bunker.

"Sir, yes sir!" Artie said as he went back to cleaning.

Artie was being punished for being a part of a fight that broke out last night at dinner. Finn and Puck were being harassed by a few soldiers and they snapped, turning around and punching two of them in the face, while the others jumped on their backs. Artie leaped over their dinner table and threw one of the men off Puck's back, as Finn throw the other to the ground. Five MP's (Military Police) jumped in and grabbed Finn, Puck, Artie, and the other two soldiers. They brought them to Major Heyward, who smiled menacingly. Yelling at each one individually, Major Heyward issued their punishments. Finn and Puck were sent to the Hole, which was just a small cement hut-like structure with windows that sat outside, while the other two were sent to clean the bathrooms in the whole facility until they were all spotless, leaving Artie to his punishment of cleaning the barrels of all the rifles.

"I'll be back later. When I get back, I expect all of these barrels to be so clean that I can see myself in them." Major Heyward said.

"Sir, yes sir." Artie said with a salute.

* * *

Puck and Finn woke up to the sunlight piercing the doorframe.

"You know, if there were some windows in here, this place could make a fantastic home." Puck said jokingly.

"Yeah, but at least we don't have to do anything today." Finn said with a laugh.

"Yeah true. So listen, I want to talk to you about something." Puck said as he sat up against the wall.

"Sure, what's up?" Finn said, sitting up as well.

"As soon as we get home before we ship out, I'm going to ask Santana to marry me." Puck said with a smile.

"Dude, are you serious?" Finn said as he leaned forward.

"Yeah, I already picked out the ring and talked to her parents." Puck said with a laugh.

"Dude! That's awesome. Congrats bro." Finn said.

"Shh, someone's coming." Puck quickly said as he heard footsteps approaching.

"Open the door, maggot." A familiar voice said through the steel door.

"Great, Major Heyward's back." Finn said as he leaned back against the wall.

The door slowly opened, letting in more sunlight, which blinded Puck and Finn.

"Good, you're awake. I hope this is the last time I see you in the whole, Privates. Do I make myself clear?" Major Heyward said.

"Sir, yes sir." They said, crawling out of the cement structure.

"Report to the firing range, immediately." Major Heyward said as he walked away.

"Well, at least shooting will be fun." Puck said as he walked towards the range.

Artie met up with the two as they grabbed their weapons and waited for the Drill Sergeant to tell them to begin. Once he blew his whistle, as barrage of bullets shot out. Puck used a pistol; Finn used an assault rifle; Artie used a machine gun. After firing, the Drill Sergeant ordered Cease Fire and the targets came in. Puck's shooting was horrible compared to Finn's and Artie's. He managed to hit the paper, but missed the target. Finn had a few perfect shots, while Artie had all perfect shots.

"Nice shooting, Artie!" Finn said, shocked by how well Artie actually could shoot.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself there, Finn." Artie said with a smile.

"Thanks. Puck, you flat out suck!" Finn said with a laugh as they put their guns down and headed off to their next training.

"Hey, I had a pistol. You guys had better weapons then me." Puck said, trailing behind Artie and Finn.

The three of them made it to their next training, which was endurance.

"As a group, you are to run 5 miles. If one of you fail, you all fail, do I make myself clear?" The Drill Sergeant said.

"Sir, yes sir!" The soldiers said with a salute.

"Begin!" The Drill Sergeant said as he hopped onto an ATV and drove next to the soldiers as they ran.

**

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

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* * *

"Have I ever told you how much I hate running?" Finn said with a laugh as they made it 2 miles.

"Yes, since we started." Artie said with a smile as they continued to run.

Finn and Artie were at the back of the squad as they ran down a seemingly endless dirt road. Everyone ahead ran in unison and repeated everything the Drill Sergeant said. Continuing their run, Finn looked around.

"Dude, where did Puck go?" He asked.

"I thought he was running next to you." Artie said, as he turned his head towards Finn.

"No, I thought he was running next to you." Finn said.

"Crap, he must have fallen behind. We have to go back for him." Artie said, as he stopped running.

"Are you crazy? We'll get in trouble again." Finn said as he slowed his running.

"You can continue to run, but I'm going back to find Puck." Artie said as he ran the opposite.

"_Damn Artie. I'm going to hurt you later._" Finn said as he rolled his eyes.

He started chasing after Artie to catch up. Once he finally caught up to him, they found Puck lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"What happened, Puck? I thought you were in shape." Artie said with a laugh.

"I twisted my ankle." Puck said as he shot a look at Artie.

"Well, can you walk?" Finn asked.

"Not really." Puck said, sitting up.

"Well, we're not leaving you here. Let's go Puckerman." Artie said as he grabbed one of Puck's arms.

Finn grabbed the other as they hoisted him up. Puck put his arms around their necks for support as they walked him down the dirt road. The three of them started talking to pass the time as they walked the rest of the 3 miles. Puck told Artie about his plan to marry Santana. Artie laughed and made the comment that it was about time they got married. The other two laughed in agreement as the facility came into view.

"Get ready for the yelling of our lives, boys." Finn said as made it to the front entrance was.

* * *

Sitting on his ATV, the Drill Sergeant smiled as they approached.

"I was wondering when you three were going to show up. Report to Major Heyward." He said as he drove away.

"Damnit, I'd rather run the 5 miles again then talk to Major Heyward." Artie said as he led the way.

The three walked into Major Heyward's office and sat Puck down on the couch. Major Heyward turned around in his chair and stood up. He didn't say anything at first. Finally looking at them, he flashed a smile.

"Well, Privates, I'm impressed. Surprised, but impressed. Going back for a fallen friend is one of the courageous things about being in the army. It's how I got my Medal of Honor. Keep it up and we just might get along. Dismissed." Major Heyward said as he sat down.

The three thanked him and started to walk out.

"Private Hudson, a word for a few minutes." Major Heyward said, calling to Finn.

"Sir, yes sir." Finn said as he walked back in.

Artie and Puck walked away, leaving Finn to deal with him.

"Sit down son." Major Heyward said.

Sitting down, Finn started getting nervous.

"I just wanted to ask you a few things before you go. I looked through your files and your family history. Your dad served in the army, I saw." Major Heyward said, looking up at him.

"Yes sir. He was in the Marines, but killed in action while in Iraq." Finn said, getting uneasy saying that.

"I know, I was with him." Major Heyward said.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Finn asked.

"Permission granted." Major Heyward said.

"If you were with my dad, then how'd die?" Finn said as he took out his dad's dog tags and tossed them on Major Heyward's desk.

Major Heyward didn't say anything at first. He ran his fingers over the dog tags, reminiscing about Finn's dad.

"Well?" Finn said getting impatient.

"Your father and I were leading a squad down an old goat path. It was our job to secure a near by village, where our Intel told us that Suddam Hussein was hiding. Once we made it to the first building, the Taliban started opening fire on us. Your father and I led our troops around to flank them. It almost worked until one of the Privates slipped up and gave away our position. I had my back turn when a Taliban soldier threw a grenade. It landed only inches away. Your father jumped on it, saving not only me but our whole squad. He was a great man." Major Heyward said, giving Finn back the dog tags.

"Thank you, sir." Finn said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You'll make a great Marine, just like your father. Now go." Major Heyward said as he stood up and saluted Finn.

"Sir, yes sir!" Finn yelled as he saluted him.

Finn walked out of the office. Finding Artie and Puck, he told them everything that Major Heyward had told him. The other two were amazed at his father's bravery. Changing the mood, Artie told them that dinner was ready. The three of them walked to the Mess Hall, talking and laughing.

* * *

"Why do I feel so bad?" Quinn said as she got out of bed, later that night.

Quinn walked into the bathroom and started throwing up a little. Not really putting any thought in it, Quinn did the E-P-T Pregnancy Test. After a few seconds, two lines showed up. Almost passing out, she fell to the ground.

"_I'm…pregnant…_" Quinn said as tears fell down her eyes.

A whole new wave of fear came over Quinn as she grabbed her phone and called Brittany.

"Brittany, please come over here! It's an emergency." Quinn said, crying.

"Sure, Q. I'll be over as soon as I can." Brittany said as she hung up.

Pacing back and force, Quinn started thinking of what she could do. After twenty minutes, Brittany knocked on her door. Letting her in, Quinn led her into the bathroom.

"What's wrong Qu-" Brittany said as Quinn held up the E-P-T test in front of her.

Studying it for a few minutes, her jaw dropped as she looked at Quinn.

"You're pregnant? Quinn, that's great! Aw, I'm so happy for you." Brittany said as she hugged her.

"Yeah, but what about Finn? He doesn't know that I'm pregnant." Quinn said with tears.

"He'll be home soon. Surprise him. Aw this is amazing!" Brittany said cheerfully.

"I'm scared though. I don't know how Finn will react." Quinn said.

"Don't worry, Quinn. He'll be happy!" Brittany said with a giggle.

"You think so?" Quinn said with a smile.

"Of course I do! Having a baby is amazing, just look at my little Brian." Brittany said with a grin.

"True, Brian's so adorable. You're right, I shouldn't worry. I'm going to be a mom!" Quinn said with a smile as she jumped up and down with Brittany.

After talking for a little, Brittany left. She hugged Quinn and congratulated her as she closed the door behind her. Quinn slowly walked back into her room and smiled.

"I'm going to be a mother!" She repeated over and over in her head until she fell back asleep.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you all like this chapter.**

* * *

The next day, while working out, Quinn received a text from Santana. Brittany told her about Quinn being pregnant after she left Quinn's the night before.

"Congrats, girl! Aw you're going to be a mom!" Santana texted.

"I know! I'm so excited. The hard part's going to be telling Finn. I want to surprise him when he comes home." Quinn replied.

"Well you have less then a month to think of something haha." Santana texted.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Quinn replied back.

She continued to work out when she heard the mailbox open. Grabbing her mailbox key, she walked down the stairs, where the mailman just finished stocking the boxes. Saying hi, Quinn opened the mailbox and grabbed the mail. She quickly flipped through all of the bills until she found a letter from Finn. Sprinting upstairs, she ripped open the envelope and started reading.

"_Hey baby,_

_I miss you so much. I miss your beautiful smile and your sparkling eyes. Being surrounded with all of these dudes…it's just weird. Anyways, Basic Training isn't so bad. Artie, Puck and I are getting closer and closer as we train. More importantly, I'll be home sooner then we planned! I'll be home in two weeks. Major Heyward, the dude in control, says that we're showing great potential! Quinn, this man was with my dad in Iraq. My dad saved his life, he said. But anyways, I hope you're not missing me too much. I love you and can't wait to be home in your arms._

_Love, _

_Finn._

_PS- Look behind the letter._

Quinn started crying as she reread the letter, until she finally turned the letter over. Behind the letter was a picture of Finn, Puck, and Artie in their military uniforms holding their weapons as they smiled. Her tears fell onto the picture as she smiled at how amazing and happy Finn looked.

* * *

Brittany was driving home from picking up Brian from daycare when she say the mailman leave her area. Quickly getting excited, she pulled up to her mailbox and opened her mailbox. She quickly skimmed through the letters, reading a post card from her cousin in Rome, until Brittany came across a letter from Artie. Quickly tearing the envelope open, she began to read the letter.

_To the love of my life,_

_I miss you more then anything in the world. I miss holding you in my arms every night. What can I say? You complete me. Hopefully Brian's not keeping you up and everything. But great news. Finn, Puck and I will be home within the next few weeks. I can't wait to see your beautiful smile when I get off that plane. I want to thank you for the picture of you and Brian that you snuck into my pockets. I look at it every night before I go to bed. I love you so much, baby. Can't wait to see you soon._

_Love,_

_Artie_

_PS- I found out that I have the better shot out of the three of us. (Puck can't shoot to save his life)_

Like Quinn, Brittany started crying as she read the letter. She picked Brian up and read him the letter as well.

"I love you, Artie Abrams!" Brittany said under her breath as she placed the letter on the table.

* * *

Santana walked inside the house after running in the park. Not noticing the mail sitting on the floor, she made herself some lunch and took a quick shower. Santana walked back into her living room and noticed the mail. Not paying attention to the other mail, she held the letter from Puck.

"Hmm I didn't even know Puck could write." Santana said with a laugh as she opened the envelope and began reading.

_Hey my sexy girl,_

_I miss my little Latino lover! How's our daughter? Hope she's not causing you too much trouble. So we might not be back for a LONG time. Our Major loves us so much, he wants us to stick around. Just kidding, baby. I'll be home in two weeks or so. Can't wait to see you. I've been deprived while I'm here and I'm not into the man on man love. _

_Love you,_

_Puck-nasty_

_PS- Send Rebecca my love._

"Wow, Noah. You got my hopes up for that?" Santana said with a laugh.

While she didn't show it, she missed Puck with all of her heart. Letting her daughter read the letter, Santana went into her room and started to cry.

* * *

"So do you think the girls got our letters?" Finn asked as they sat down for dinner.

"I hope. That's the only letter I've ever written in my life." Puck said with a laugh as he started eating what he thought was stew.

"I can't believe we're almost finished with Basic Training. We've been here for over a month and already I can't wait to get over to Iraq." Artie said with a grin.

"Same. As soon as I get a hold of an M-16, it's going to be game over." Puck said as he played with his food.

"Dude you still have the worst shot out of the three of us." Artie said with a laugh.

"Yeah, Puck. I'm more worried of you then I am of them." Finn said with a grin.

"Fuck you both. I'll show all of you!" Puck said with a smile.

The three of them continued to talk as dinner went on. After they were dismissed to do whatever they wanted. Puck and Finn went to go play basketball, while Artie went back to their barracks and write another letter, this time to his parents.

* * *

_Mom and dad,_

_As the end of Basic Training draws near, I can't help but feel like I'm becoming a better person. I know mom's still worried about me, but like I told you guys before I left, I'm fine! I have an amazing shot and it's not as bad as everyone thinks. I'll always be your little Artie, no matter what. Can't wait to see you in a few weeks. Sorry if this letter is so short. It's hard to find the time to write here._

_Love, _

_Artie._

* * *

Artie brought the letter to the postal office and then joined Puck and Finn on the basketball court. The three played several games of 21, which usually ended with Finn winning by 2 and Artie coming in last.

"Basketball's just not your sport, is it Artie?" Puck said with a laugh as he started shooting around.

"No, because in case you forgot, I spent most of my life in a wheelchair." Artie said as he wiped his face with a towel.

"Oh yeah, dude. I'm sorry." Puck said, realizing what he said.

"It's all good dude. It's good to be able to do this stuff with you guys." Artie said with a smile as he grabbed the ball and started shooting around.

"You can say that again." Finn said as Puck signaled for him to do an alleyoop.

The rest of the night, the three just chilled around and talked as they prepared for their final stages of training the next day. As the sun set over the tree line, they walked into their barracks and did their own thing. Finn and Artie were talking about singing in Glee like they use to, while Puck compared his muscles to another soldier, named Jerome. As soon as a Drill Sergeant walked into the barracks, the soldiers stood up and saluted.

"Men, you have 5 minutes before lights out. That's all." He said as he walked down the middle aisle.

Finn hopped into his bunk, while Puck dove into his. Artie was already in his bunk. Finn pulled the covers over him as Puck tried talking to him. Artie took out the picture of Brittany and Brian from under his pillow and kissed it. He placed it back under his pillow as the Drill Sergeant walked past. As soon as the lights went off, the three fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

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* * *

The next week, the guys finished their intense training. They were selected into different parts of the army. Artie made it into the Marines, while Puck joined with the Rangers. Finn was given the honor of joining the Navy Seals, as a sniper. For the first time since they made it to Columbia, the three of guys will be separated in order to train in their different fields.

* * *

Puck was relocated to Fort Benning in Georgia where he'd spend 2 days participating in intense training, especially trying the Water Confidence Course. Puck climbed up to the platform, scooted across a rope and then slapped the Ranger's sign, as he fell into the water below. After spending time during that training, he moved to the mountains in Georgia, to learn to climb and rappel. Puck then moved to Florida to familiarize himself to the swamps and then finally headed to New Mexico to prepare himself for the desert. Mastering the elements, Puck headed back to Columbia, waiting to head back home.

* * *

Artie's training consisted of three different levels. Luckily for him, he only had to move 20 miles away in a camp surrounded by woods and the slogan "The Few. The Proud. The Marines" printed all over the facility. Artie started his training with learning how to drive and shoot various tanks and helicopters. He also leaned how to fire mortars, machineguns, and antitank weapons. In the second level, Artie learned more combat skills as well as running obstacle courses, physical training, and their Martial Arts program. His final lesson was to learn grace under fire, before moving to the final level. Finally making it to the final stage, Artie mastered everything he's learned, as well as becoming fluent in Arabic. He returned back to Columbia shortly.

* * *

Finn went to the same facility as Puck to begin his training. He started off with underwater demolition. After mastering that, Finn learned the art of camouflage, from blending in with the mud to using Ghillie suits. He spent a lot of his time in the water and doing drills, such as Breeching exercises and moving a comrade through live fire.

"I wonder how Puck and Artie are doing." Finn said as he carried his comrade across the finish line.

The final training he participated in was jumping into the water from a helicopter. In full gear, Finn leaped out of the back of the helicopter and into the water 20 feet below. After this final training, he headed back to Columbia where he reunited with his friends as they awaited to go back to Lima.

* * *

"So how was Ranger training?" Finn asked as he sat on his bunk.

"It was a bitch. Literally, I'd rather be stuck here with Major Heyward then go through that training again." Puck said as he shivered at the thought of his training.

"Yeah, but you look stronger then before." Finn said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'll admit it. You do look different." Artie said with a grin.

"Well what about you water boy? What was your training like?" Puck asked.

"It was interesting. Who knew jumping out of a helicopter would be so fun. I mean, take a look at this awesome uniform I get." Finn said as he opened his bag and showed them his uniform.

"That's pretty sweet! But I have to say, my training was incredible! I can drive a tank and helicopter too!" Artie said with a smile as he lay down on his bed.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Puck asked in disbelief.

"Hell yeah. Driving a tank is like driving a car…just with a cannon. A helicopter's a little harder, but not to bad." Artie said as he sat up.

"Dude, I'm jealous." Finn said with a laugh.

The three continued to talk about their various trainings and exercises that they went through, until the Drill Sergeant told everyone lights out.

"Just 2 more days, guys and then it's back to Lima." Artie said with a smile as he fell asleep.

* * *

"They're coming home in two days!" Brittany screamed with joy as the 5 of them sat around for dinner.

"I know! God, I didn't think it'd survive this long." Quinn said with a smile.

"You hear that baby girl? Daddy's coming home in two days." Santana said to her daughter, as she watched her color.

"What do you think they'll be like when they return?" Quinn asked as she took a sip out of her drink.

"Good question. I just hope that they don't change too much that we won't recognize them." Brittany said as she fed Brian.

After she said that, the other two joined her in thought about how their men would act when they got home. Quinn pictured Finn to come back more manly, while Brittany pictured Artie to come back stronger. All Santana wanted was for Puck to return a changed man overall.

"You know what? Let's get a babysitter tonight. We haven't had our own night out in awhile." Santana said.

"Yeah, I'll call one up." Brittany said with a smile as she picked up her phone.

* * *

The girls finished eating and talking. After paying the check, they drove to Brittany's where after 10 minutes of waiting, a young peppy girl showed up.

"Hey Mrs. A." The girl said with a smile.

"Oh hey Katie, come on in. Thank you so much for coming on such short notice." Brittany said with a smile as she opened the door.

"Anytime Mrs. Abrams. I'm always happy to watch after Brian." Katie said cheerfully as she walked inside.

"Oh you're also babysitting Miss Lopez' kid too, if that's okay." Brittany said as she led her into the living room.

"Not a problem." Katie said.

"Great. Thank you so much! Quinn and Santana, you ready?" Brittany said with a smile.

"Yeah, let's go. Thank you, Katie. We'll be back around 11 or so." Santana said with a smile as she followed Quinn and Brittany out of Brittany's.

The girls climbed into Brittany's car and headed to a club. As they drove down the street, Quinn started laughing as a cheesy song came on. Realizing what song was playing, they all started singing It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls all the way until they pulled into the club's parking lot. The girls could hear the music from outside.

"Woo! Let's go!" Quinn said as she got out of the car.

* * *

The girls locked arms and walked into club, laughing as they passed the Bouncer. Quickly grabbing some drinks, they ran to the dance floor. The music and the alcohol went through them as they had the time of their lives. However, after an hour, a man started hitting on Brittany.

"Hey pretty lady. How about you and I go some place." The man said in her ear.

"Um, excuse me?" Brittany said as she took a step back.

"You and me…let's go somewhere." The man said with a grin.

"I'm married, thank you very much." She said.

"Come on. What your husband doesn't know, won't hurt him." He continued to say.

"My husband would kick your ass." Brittany said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'd like to see him try. He's probably a scrawny ass nerd." The man said with a laugh.

"Hey, who the fuck are you?" Santana asked, putting herself between him and Brittany.

"I wasn't talking to you, bitch." The man said.

"Oh, you did not just call her a bitch." Quinn said, resting her arm on Santana's shoulder.

"And what if I did? What are you going to do about it?" The man said.

"This…" Brittany said as she kicked him square in the balls, catching him off guard.

The man fell on the ground and the girls continued to dance. After a few more songs, the girls left the club, locking arms again.

"Thanks you guys for helping me back there." Brittany said with a smile as they got into her car.

"Don't thank us. We're always here for you. Besides, you're the one who stopped him." Quinn said with a smile.

"Yeah, girl. You kicked him in the nuts for God's sakes." Santana said with a laugh.

"Well, no one messes with us. That's for sure." Quinn said with a smile.

"Amen to that, sister." Brittany said with a laugh as she drove home.

**

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	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you guys for all of these amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

The final day at Basic Training was the easiest day the guys had since Day 1. They started their day with a light run around the facility, than they had the rest of the day to do whatever they wanted. Around lunch time, the guys sat around and started to think about their experience so far.

"I wonder what it's going to be like in Iraq after we leave Lima." Finn said as he ate.

"Dude, don't say that yet. I want to enjoy my time with Brittany and my son before I think about leaving again." Artie said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I want to be home too. It's just, you two have a family to go home to. Sure, I have Quinn and I love her, but I have no kid." Finn said as he looked at his tray.

"Having a kid sucks." Puck said.

"Speak for yourself. I love having a kid." Artie said as he took a sip out of his drink.

"Well anyways, you've got a sexy wife. With that, who needs a kid?" Puck said with a grin.

"Yeah I guess so. Well anyways, let's go play some basketball. Artie, try not to suck this time." Finn said with a laugh as he walked out of the door.

"I don't suck that much." Artie yelled after him.

"You do. Watching you play is like watching my grandma play." Puck said with a laugh as he walked next to him.

The three played a few game of 21 before being challenged by three other soldiers. The six of them played all the way up until dinner. During that time, one of the Drill Sergeants said that they were to report to the Assembly Hall after they finished eating. The guys quickly finished eating, went to their barracks to change, and made it to the Assembly Hall. Finn led Artie and Puck to the front and sat down.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations. This is the final step before putting yourselves on the frontlines. You're making America proud. In a few minutes, I'll ask you all to separate into your different divisions as we recognize each individual for their many accomplishments during their time." Major Heyward said.

After saluting them, everyone split up into their different divisions. Finn went with the Navy Seals, Artie went with the Marines, and Puck went to the Rangers. After everyone fell silent again, Major Heyward began to give everyone their recognition and award. With their awards, each division was given a different color Beret. The Rangers were given a tan beret, the Navy Seals were given a dark blue beret, and the Marines were given a green beret. After the ceremony was over, Major Heyward approached Finn.

"Congrats, son. Your father would be proud." He said with a smile, as he shook Finn's hand.

"Thank you sir." Finn said with a smile.

As he let go of Major Heyward's hand, Finn saluted him.

"Make us proud, son." Major Heyward said as he saluted back.

"Sir, yes sir!" Finn said proudly.

"Dismissed." Major Heyward said with a smile and walked away.

Finn met up with Artie and Puck as they walked back to their barracks to pack for their departure home. Artie placed the picture of Brittany and Brian in his suitcase after he kissed it. Puck smiled as he folded the picture his daughter drew him before he left and placed it in his suitcase. Finn was already packed by the time the others started.

* * *

"Damn, two months already over." Santana said as she flipped through the TV.

"Mommy, daddy's coming home tomorrow!" Rebecca said with a smile as she climbed onto Santana's lap.

"I know baby girl! Are you excited?" She said with a smile.

"Mhm. I hope he still has my picture I drew him." Rebecca said.

"Oh I'm sure he does. Go get ready for bed and I'll read you a bed time story." Santana said softly, as her daughter hopped off and sprinted to her room.

"_My baby's coming home!_" Santana said in her head as she got up from her seat and walked towards Rebecca's room.

"Ready!" Rebecca said cheerfully as she sat in her bed.

Santana smiled as she sat next to her and started reading Goodnight Moon. After she finished and kissed her daughter on the forehead, Santana went into her own room and grabbed a picture of Puck holding Rebecca when she was only a year old.

"You better be a changed man, Noah Puckerman." Santana said with a smile as she climbed into bed.

* * *

Brittany sang happily that Artie was coming home as she put Brian in his crib. She kissed him goodnight and paraded down the hallway and sat on her couch. After watching some TV, Brittany went into her room and tried to sleep, but was too happy.

* * *

Quinn danced around her place over the fact that Finn was going to be home. Wearing herself out, she sat down on her couch and watched some television. Quinn sat there wide awake, as the thought of her husband coming home continued to play over and over in her head. Not wanting to go to sleep, she texted Brittany and Santana. Not getting a response from Santana, Quinn and Brittany began to text for hours.

"I'm too damn excited to go to sleep!" Brittany texted.

"Oh same. I don't know what I'll do when I see Finn." Quinn replied.

"Speaking of Finn, how are you going to tell him about the baby?" Brittany asked.

"Shit, I didn't think about that. How do you think I should tell him?" Quinn texted.

"Aw I was hoping you'd ask me! I was thinking that you should tell him as soon as he walks down the terminal." Brittany replied.

"You mean just scream it at the top of my lungs?" Quinn asked.

"No! Well, if you want to, but no. I was thinking that when he walks up to you and holds you, you whisper in his ear. Aw I can just see it right now! So adorable." Brittany said.

"Aw, Brittany. I love that idea! Thank you, girl!" Quinn said.

"Anytime, love! Well I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow at the airport. 9 o'clock, right?" Brittany texted.

"Yeah, see you then." Quinn replied as she walked into her room and climbed into bed.

* * *

While she lay in her bed, Quinn continued to replay the idea of being held in Finn's arms as he emerged from the terminal and her telling him about their baby.

"_Perfect_." Quinn thought as she finally went to sleep.

**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter. Haha I know the anticipation was rough, but here it is…**

* * *

"Finally, I'm going home." Finn said as he got into the van to go back to the airport.

"Dude, just think, in one month, we'll be shipped to Iraq." Puck said with a smile as he climbed in after him.

"Good luck, everyone. Don't forget, you're doing America a great honor." Major Heyward said as he saluted.

"You know, I'm going to miss that guy." Artie said with a laugh as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

The three left the facility. Looking back, they could still see the grim looking facility and the barbwire that ran all along the tops. Finn and Artie smiled as they pulled away, while Puck still thought about Juvenile Hall. They made a turn and the facility was gone.

"I can't wait to get on that plane. It'll be the best sleep I'll have since we got here." Finn said with a laugh as he looked out the window.

"Oh God. Please try not to snore again." Artie said with a laugh.

"I can't help it!" Finn said with a smile.

"You know, I don't see how Quinn can sleep with you snoring." Puck said with a grin.

"What can I say? It's because I'm too damn sexy." Finn said with a laugh.

"Right." Artie said sarcastically.

Finn and Artie continued to talk, as Puck put his headphones in and started to sing the same lyrics over and over again.

"_I'm coming home__  
__I'm coming home__  
__Tell the World I'm coming home__  
__Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday__  
__I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes__  
__I'm coming home, I'm coming home__  
__Tell the World that I'm coming_" Puck sang repeatedly

"Puck, is that all you know?" Artie asked with a laugh.

Puck didn't hear him. He continued to sing over and over again, until Finn punched him in the leg.

"Ow. Dude, what was that for?" Puck yelled, ripping off his headphones.

"Change songs!" Finn said as they approached the airport.

* * *

Their van pulled around and parked outside. Thanking the driver, the three got out and went inside. They saw their fellow soldiers as they had their baggage checked and moved towards their terminal. As they grabbed their seats on the plane, the captain came on over the intercom.

"Good morning everyone. Thank you for flying Flight #240 to Lima, Ohio. The flight will take roughly 2 and a half hours. We're looking for a nice smooth ride." The captain said.

"Well that's better then the trip here." Artie said happily as he buckled up.

Agreeing, Finn and Puck put in their headphones and fell asleep. Artie started reading a magazine that he picked up from the Stewardess, while listening to his music. After a few minutes, he too fell asleep.

* * *

Artie 'woke up' in the pilot's seat of a Pavelow Helicopter. He looked around and saw sand everywhere and could feel the heat coming through the windows as several Marines pilled into the back. Artie flipped a few levers and took off from what he assumed was their headquarters. He followed the coordinates that his co-pilot gave him earlier.

"So where are we going?" He could hear a soldier say.

"We're heading to Baghdad." Artie heard another one say.

He could hear them talking about everything from baseball to who the hottest celebrity is. Looking down, Artie could see a convoy of vehicles heading in the same direction as them. A humvey with a man on a turret led the way as supply trucks followed closely behind. Artie was amazed by the organization of the convoy until a truck in the middle exploded.

"Holy shit. Did you see that?" One of the soldiers in the back said.

Artie grabbed his intercom and yelled for someone to get on the turrets. He could hear turrets firing on the side of the helicopter as he opened the hatch of the rear.

"Someone strap in and get on the rear turret." He yelled.

As Artie circled around the convoy, he could see bullets flying back and forth from the soldiers in the convoy and the Taliban on the hillside. He started firing his turrets in the front as a rocket was shot at them. Quickly dodging it, Artie continued to fire. Another rocket was fired, this time making contact with the propeller.

"Hold on!" Artie yelled as he fought to control the stability of the helicopter.

"Mayday, we've been hit." Artie said to control.

After getting no response, he repeated his distress call again. Artie lost control of the helicopter shortly after as the propeller exploded. He and the rest of the soldiers plummeted towards the ground.

"Brace yourselves." Artie's co-pilot yelled.

Their helicopter crashed 100 meters from the convoy. A few soldiers were killed as Artie and the survivors crawled from the burning wreckage as bullets ripped past them.

Artie woke up and looked out of the window. They were still flying. Sweating, Artie ordered a drink and looked out of the window.

* * *

"When does their flight come in?" Santana asked as they sat by the Terminal.

"10:30, so a half an hour." Brittany said cheerfully as she burped Brian.

"Yay! Daddy's almost here. Mommy, can you buy me something to drink?" Rebecca said as she tugged on her mom's shirt.

"Sure baby girl." Santana said with a smile as she left, leaving Brittany and Quinn alone.

"So did you decide how you're going to tell Finn?" Brittany asked with a smile as she took a step closer to Quinn.

"Yeah, I'm going with your idea. I'm scared though. After I went to bed, I dreamed about how Finn would react to this and it wasn't pretty." Quinn said as she looked at the ground.

"Quinn, don't be scared. This is the best news that he'll have for awhile. Besides, he'll find out sooner or later, so you might as well make it romantic and tell him now." Brittany said.

"I know, I know. It's just really nerve racking." Quinn said, looking down the Terminal.

"Don't worry. Here, can you hold Brian for me? I need to go to the bathroom." Brittany said as she handed her son over to Quinn.

Brittany sprinted towards the bathroom, leaving Quinn alone with her son.

"Aw, you're the cutest little thing I've ever seen!" Quinn said cheerfully as she looked at Brian.

"_I hope my baby's as cute as Brian._" Quinn said to herself.

* * *

Finn woke up to Puck slobbering all over his shoulder. Pushing his head the opposite way and wiping off his slobber, he noticed Artie awake.

"You alright, dude? You're looking really pale." Finn asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just had the worst dream." Artie said as he turned and looked at Finn.

"Come on. It can't be that bad." Finn said with a laugh.

"I was flying a Pavelow and was shot down. It was way too real." Artie said.

"_Pavelows…damn now I want to play Call of Duty._" Finn said in his head.

"It's okay, bro. It was just a dream. Where are we?" He asked.

"We're about 20 minutes away from Lima." Artie said with a smile.

The two continued to talk until they made it to the airport. After trying to wake Puck up by shaking him, Finn gave him a hard slap in the face.

"What the fuck!" Puck screamed as he rubbed his face.

"We're home. Come on, let's go." Artie said cheerfully as they exited the plane.

* * *

"Did we miss anything?" Brittany asked as she, Santana, and Rebecca hustled back next to Quinn.

"Nope…Wait, here come the soldiers." Quinn said cheerfully as she handed Brian back over to Brittany.

After watching about 30 soldiers pass, the girls started to break down and cry as they could see their men walk down the terminal together. They had their different berets on and looked stronger then they did before they left for Basic Training.

"Good luck, Quinn." Brittany said as they continued to approach them.

"Thank you!" Quinn said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

* * *

Letting Finn come closer, Quinn sprinted towards him and wrapped her arms around him. Soaking his shoulder with tears, she looked up at him. Not waiting a single second, she pressed her lips against his and kissed him for what seemed like eternity.

"Did you miss me?" Finn asked with a smile.

"More then you know. I have big news…" Quinn said silently as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What is it?" Finn said as he repositioned his beret.

"I'm…I'm…I'm pregnant." Quinn said as she took a step back.

"W-w-w-what? Quinn…I'm going to be a father?" Finn asked, shocked.

"Yeah, you're going to be a father." Quinn said with a smile as tears continued to roll down her face.

"Quinn, this is amazing." Finn said as he embraced his wife in his arms.

"I love you, Finn." Quinn said as she buried her face in his chest.

"I love you too, Quinn." Finn said with a smile as he kissed her on the forehead.

* * *

"Artie!" Brittany screamed as she ran to her husband, almost dropping her son.

Artie dropped his things and embraced his family as they all started to cry. The two became speechless as they held each other for the longest time. Finally finding the words to say, Artie kissed his wife passionately and smiled.

"It's good to be home again. I've missed you." Artie said, as he took his son.

"Do you still have the picture of Brian and me?" Brittany asked with a smile.

"Of course. It's right here in my pocket." Artie said as he brought it out.

"Aw, I hope you'll carry it around with you." Brittany said as tears rolled down her face.

"Of course I will. I'm never letting this thing out of my sight." Artie said as he kissed Brittany.

"I have big news to tell you later, though. But first, let's go get something to eat." Brittany said as she took a step back.

The two walked over to Finn and Quinn. Brittany hugged Finn and Artie hugged Quinn, waiting for Puck and Santana to join them.

* * *

"Daddy!" Rebecca yelled with excitement as she ran over to Puck.

"Baby girl! I've missed you!" Puck said as he picked up his daughter and walked over to Santana.

"I've missed you too, daddy. Do you still have the picture I made you?" She asked with a smile.

"Right here…" Puck said as he put Rebecca down and brought out the picture.

"I hope you like it." She said with a smile.

"I love it." Puck said as he hugged her.

Santana quickly embraced Puck as he stood up. Squeezing tightly, she looked into his eyes and kissed him passionately.

"Welcome home, baby." Santana said with a smile, wiping the tears away.

"It's great to be home." Puck said as he picked Santana up and kissed her.

"Tonight, I'm going to show you how much I've missed you." Santana whispered in his ear.

"_YES!_" Puck screamed in his head with excitement.

"But first, let's go get some food." Santana said as they walked over to the others.

**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Sorry for not updating this story in awhile Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

Artie walked around his parents' house with Brian in his arms. He started to think about how he was leaving for Iraq in his few days. The past few days were rough for him and Brittany. No matter how many times he told her he was going to be alright, she just wouldn't accept the fact that Artie was putting his life in danger this time.

"Artie, can you come in the backyard for a minute? I need your help." Artie's mom asked.

"Yeah, I'll be outside in a few minutes." Artie said as he turned to face his mom.

Artie's mom finally accepted Artie going into the army a few weeks after he left for Basic Training. Since then, she's been supportive of him by asking him question about what it's like and what he'll do while he's overseas. Artie's dad became more fascinated with the army as Artie told them everything.

"Well little guy, let's go." Artie said as he smiled at his son.

Artie walked down the hall and onto his back porch, where he was greeted by a round of applause from his whole entire family and friends. His parents thought it'd be a great idea to throw him a party before he left for Iraq. Brittany clapped, but Artie could tell she was fighting back the urge to cry. After hugging and high-fiving everyone, he walked over to her.

"Brittany, come on now. We've been over this like a hundred times. Nothing's going to happen to me." Artie said.

"It's not that. It's the fact that you're leaving me again. You don't know what it's like being here alone." Brittany said as she looked at the ground.

"Babe, everything will be ok. I prom-" Artie said as he was interrupted by his family talking to him.

"What was that about?" Quinn said as she walked over to Brittany.

"Artie seems way too happy to be going." Brittany said.

"Girl, he's just happy to be apart of something." Santana said as she sipped on her drink.

"Yeah, except for the fact that he's apart of something that will kill him." Brittany said with a small laugh.

"Don't worry about it, alright? Anyways, Finn and I have to go. He's taking me somewhere romantic." Quinn said with a smile as she hugged Brittany.

"Aw that sounds amazing." Brittany said with a grin.

Santana and Brittany talked some more as the party rolled on. They laughed as they watched Puck and Artie competed against each other in various challenges, from push-ups to lifting. After a few hours, Puck and Santana had to leave. Puck said he had something important that he had to do.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Quinn asked with a laugh as they drove down the street.

"It's a surprise." Finn said with a smile.

After driving around for awhile, Finn pulled into the parking lot of a park. Quinn pointed out that the place looked familiar but couldn't point it out.

"Come on." Finn said as he grabbed Quinn's hand and led her down the path.

After walking for a few minutes, they walked up to a tree.

"Oh Finn, I remember this place! This is where you first asked me out." Quinn said as she looked around.

"That's right. I thought it'd be perfect way to spend our night together." Finn said as he put his arm around her.

"Aw, Finn. This is amazing." Quinn said as she kissed him.

Looking closer at the tree, Finn ran his finger around the outside of the heart that was carved into the tree, with FH + QF carved inside. Quinn embraced him as they sat down and talked. After awhile, they lay on ground and watched the stars, like they did ten years before.

"Baby, this has been the greatest night we've had in awhile." Fin said as he kissed Quinn on the forehead.

"I don't want it to end." Quinn said as she buried her head in Finn's shoulder.

Finn let out a small laugh as she held Quinn tight. The two continued to hold each other until they fell asleep under the tree.

* * *

"This better not be your way of saying you want to have sex, Noah Puckerman." Santana said with a laugh as they drove up a dark winding road.

"It's not. Don't worry. I thought this would be a great way for us to be together. Besides, Rebecca's at my parents' for the night." Puck said with a grin as he turned down a small narrow road.

"So where are we going anyways, babe?" Santana asked as she looked around.

"Close your eyes. It's going to be a surprise." Puck said with a smile as he slowed down.

Santana closed her eyes and started laughing as Puck continued to slow down, until their car completely stopped.

"Alright baby, you can open your eyes." Puck said happily.

Santana slowly opened her eyes and gasped as she looked out of the front window. Puck has driven her to a Cliffside over looking a lake. Tears started rolling down Santana's cheeks as she let the surrounding area sink in.

"Puck, this is beautiful! How'd you-" Santana tried to say as Puck kissed her.

As he continued to kiss her, Puck grabbed a small box in his pocket.

"Santana, you've made me the happiest guy in the world for almost 6 years. We have a beautiful daughter and an amazing life together." Puck said softly as he pulled the box out of his pocket.

Opening it up, a diamond ring glistened in the moon light.

"Santana Lopez, will you marry me?" Puck asked, as he too started to shed a tear.

"Noah Puckerman…"Santana started to say with a smile as she began to choke up.

After regaining her composure, she looked at him with a big smile.

"Yes, I'll marry you." Santana said as she leaned in and kissed him.

The two spent the next few hours holding each other as the moonlight reflected off the water and Santana's ring.

"Babe, let's do something crazy." Puck said as he got out of the car and stripped down to his boxers.

"What are you doing?" Santana asked with a laugh as she watched.

"Going for a late night swim. Come on, baby." Puck said with a laugh.

"Oh Puck, there are so many things wrong with you." Santana said as began stripping as well.

"You look amazing!" Puck said with a grin as Santana walked over to him.

After embracing each other for a few minutes, Puck took a few steps back and sprinted for the edge, plummeting down 50 feet into the water. Santana, worried at first, took a few feet back and jumped in after him. Puck arose to watch Santana yell as she fell into the water a few feet away. Santana rose out of the water and started laughing. The two swam around together until they finally got tired and drove home.

**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for not updating in awhile. Hope you guys like this chapter! **

* * *

The next morning, Artie woke up early to begin packing. He slowly climbed out of bed so he couldn't wake up Brittany. Artie grabbed a large suitcase from out of the closet and began to pack some clothes. He grabbed his razor, glasses, and other toiletry items and placed them in the suitcase as well. Artie walked over to his nightstand and picked up Brittany and Artie's wedding picture. Letting out a large sigh, Artie accidently woke Brittany up.

"Artie? *Yawn* What are you doing up so early?" She asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Did I wake you?" Artie asked, shocked about hearing Brittany's voice that early.

"Yeah, what are you doing up?" Brittany asked as she sat up in their bed.

"I'm packing. I'm sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep." Artie said softly.

"No, we need to talk." Brittany said as she got out of bed and walked over to him.

"About what?" Artie asked as he put their wedding picture down.

"About you leaving. Look, I don't want you to leave with us not talking to each other that much." Brittany said as she climbed onto Artie's lap.

"What do you mean?" Artie asked, as he embraced her.

"Well yesterday at the party, we only said a few words together. I mean, what happened to our spark that we had?" Brittany asked as she started to cry.

"It's still there. It's just getting really hard with this whole military stuff." Artie said as he kissed her on the forehead.

"You don't mean that. Santana and Puck are having the time of their lives right now and Finn and Quinn are having a baby. What do we have going for us?" She asked.

"We have a beautiful baby boy and we're married. More importantly, we have each other." Artie said with a smile.

Just as Brittany was going to answer, Brian started crying in the next room.

"I'll get him." Brittany said as she kissed Artie and walked out of the room.

Artie finished packing and brought his stuff into the family room. He began making breakfast as Brittany walked down the hall and joined him with Brian nestled in her arms. As Artie finished making breakfast and Brittany sat Brian down, the two continued to talk about Artie leaving. After awhile, Brittany's mood changed into happier mood, which surprised Artie. As the day went on, they did everything from going shopping to the zoo one last time before Artie left.

* * *

"Puck, this ring is beautiful." Santana said with a smile as she admired her ring.

"It was worth every penny." Puck said with a smile as he kissed her.

"Do you think we should've picked Rebecca up from your parents though?" Santana asked with a laugh as she climbed out of bed and started up the shower.

"Probably not. I'll go and pick her up." Puck said with a laugh as he quickly got dressed and sprayed body deodorant on him.

He climbed into his car and pulled out of the driveway. As Puck drove down the street, he cranked up the radio when he heard 3 Doors Down's song Citizen Soldier.

_Beyond the boundaries of your city's lights,__  
__Stand the heroes waiting for your cries.__  
__So many times you did not bring this on yourself,__  
__When that moment finally comes,__  
__I'll be there to help._

_On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,__  
__I'll be right here.__  
__Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.__  
__Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,__  
__We'll always be ready because we will always be there._

_When there are people crying in the streets,__  
__When they're starving for a meal to eat,__  
__When they simply need a place to make their beds,__  
__Right here underneath my wing,__  
__You can rest your head._

_On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,__  
__I'll be right here!__  
__Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.__  
__Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,__  
__We'll always be ready because we will always be there..._

_There... there... there..._

_Hope and pray that you'll never need me,__  
__But rest assured I will not let you down.__  
__I'll walk beside you but you may not see me,__  
__The strongest among you may not wear a crown._

_On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care,__  
__I'll be right here!__  
__On that day when you don't have the strength for the burden you bear,__  
__I'll be right here!__  
__Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.__  
__(Citizen soldiers)__  
__Standing on guard for the ones that we sheltered,__  
__We'll always be ready because we will always be there.__  
_

Puck finished listening to the song as he turned into his parents' driveway. He parked his car and walked up to the front door where he was greeted by his daughter, tackling him with a hug.

"Hey daddy!" Rebecca said cheerfully.

"Hey baby girl! Were you good for grandma and grandpa?" Puck said as he picked her up.

"Yes, grandpa made me chocolate chip pancakes." Rebecca said with a smile, as Puck carried her back inside.

"Well good. Hey mom and dad, thanks for watching Rebecca." Puck said with a smile.

"Anytime, Noah. So what did you and Santana do last night?" Puck's mom asked.

"Well, sit down and I'll tell you and dad." Puck said as he put Rebecca down.

Puck's dad walked into the room and sat down next to his wife.

"What's up, son?" Puck's dad said with a grin.

It was weird seeing his parents this happy. They went from throwing him out of their house when he told them about the military to loving him again.

"Well, Santana and I are getting married!" Puck said with a smile.

"WHAT?" His parents yelled.

They both stood up and hugged their son. Rebecca jumped onto Puck's lap and hugged him as well.

"Noah Puckerman! This is the greatest news you've told us since you became a dad!" Puck's mom said as she hugged Rebecca.

"I know! We're getting married as soon as I come home!" Puck said as he stood up.

"Aw good!" Puck's mom said with a smile.

The four of them talked for a few more until Santana called Puck home to finish packing. Thanking his parents again and hugged them one more time, Puck and Rebecca drove back home.

* * *

Finn and Quinn woke up to the warm morning breeze. They quickly packed up their things and got back into their car.

"That was an amazing night." Quinn said with a smile as she put her head on Finn's shoulder.

"Anything for you, babe." Finn said with a smile as he kissed her.

Finn pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home. A long the way, the two started talking about what it'd be like to have a baby.

"So what are we going to name our baby?" Finn asked with a laugh.

"Well I can tell you we're not going to name him or her Drizzle." Quinn said with a grin.

"I still think that's a great name, but I was thinking…if it's a boy, we should name him Dustin. If it's a girl, we should name here Katie. Hmm Dustin and Katie Hudson, catchy." Finn said with a grin.

"Oh I like it!" Quinn said with a smile as she started thinking of what their child would look like.

As they pulled into their driveway, Finn received a text from Artie, making sure that he packed. Finn quickly rushed inside to do some quick packing.

"Finn, what's the rush?" Quinn asked as she watched Finn trip as he sprinted around the house.

"I forgot to pack!" Finn said with a laugh as he picked himself off of the ground.

"Aw I totally forgot about that." Quinn said as she sat down on the couch, putting her head in her hands.

Quickly finishing up packing, Finn joined Quinn on the couch.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll be home soon enough." Finn said with a smile as he held Quinn tightly.

"I'm just scared for you. I know you'll be fine and everything. It's just…you just came home and now you're leaving." Quinn said.

"Aw, don't forget that I'll be able to talk to you on the computer and see your beautiful face." Finn said as he kissed her on the forehead.

"You better!" Quinn said, finally letting out a laugh.

**

* * *

Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all for the amazing reviews! I hope you all like this chapter as well.**

* * *

The next morning, everyone met at the airport. Artie, Puck, and Finn were dressed in their different military uniforms and had no idea where they'd be stationed, which scared the girls. They thought that the guys would be together to protect each other. As the guys waited for their plane to be called, they said their goodbyes.

"You better be safe over there, Noah Puckerman." Santana said with a smile as tears started falling down her cheeks.

"I will, baby. I love you." Puck said as he hugged Santana tightly.

"Daddy, do you still have the picture I drew you?" Rebecca asked as she hugged Puck.

"Of course, baby girl. I have it right here." Puck said with a smile as he brought out the picture of his pocket.

"I drew you another one too!" Rebecca said with a grin as she handed him another picture that she drew.

Puck unfolded the paper. It was a picture of Puck, Santana, and Rebecca. They were all smiling as they stood outside of what he assumed was their house. The sky was green and the grass was blue, which made Puck laugh.

"Thank you, babe." Puck said as he knelt down and hugged his daughter.

"I love you daddy!" Rebecca said as she squeezed him tightly.

"I love you too." He said with a smile as tears started falling too.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Finn asked as he held his wife.

"Yeah, it's just going to be hard with me pregnant now." Quinn said as she looked into Finn's eyes.

"Don't worry. Brittany and Santana will be here with you." Finn said with a smile as he kissed her on the forehead.

"I know, but it's not the same without my husband. You better write to me every chance you get." Quinn said with a smile as she buried her head into his chest.

"I will, don't worry. But you better write to me also!" Finn said with a laugh as he continued to hold her.

"You know I will." Quinn said with a grin.

* * *

"Artie, you look so cute in your Marine outfit." Brittany said as she took a step back and admired her husband.

Artie started to laugh as he turned around so Brittany could see it all.

"What can I say? I look sexy." Artie said as he held his son.

"Aw, you two look adorable!" Brittany said as she walked back over to Artie and hugged him.

The two fell silent for a few minutes, just holding each other, not wanting to let go. After a few minutes, Brittany started to cry.

"Baby, don't cry. I'll be back." Artie said, fighting back the urge to cry as well.

"It's not that. I'm just so happy for you! You're finally doing something that you wanted and it took me this long to realize it." Brittany said with a smile as she wiped away her tears.

"Aw, Brittany." Artie said as he kissed her.

"I love you." Brittany said with a smile.

"I love you too." Artie said, finally letting the tears flow out.

* * *

"_Attention passangers. Flight # 598 to Baghdad is now boarding. I repeat flight #598 to Baghdad is now boarding._" Someone said over the intercom.

"Well that's us." Finn said as he hugged Quinn one more time.

"Stay safe." She said as she let go.

Finn hugged Santana and Brittany and told them to watch over Quinn as he turned and waited for Puck and Artie, who were saying their goodbyes. Puck kissed Santana passionately before saying goodbye to his daughter, Quinn and Brittany. Artie kissed Brittany and held his son one last time, before saying goodbye to Quinn and Santana.

"Alright, here we go." Puck said as he walked in the middle of Finn and Artie as they made their way down the terminal and into the plane.

* * *

The three put their luggage in the cabinets and grabbed their seats. Their plane was full of soldiers and other military personnel. They recognized some of the soldiers from Basic Training as well. The media was flying in first class as well. The stewardess quickly made sure everyone was buckled up and the captain came on over the intercom.

"Good morning, everyone. You're flying Flight #598 to Baghdad. Before we take off, I'd like to say thank you for protecting our country. We will be hitting some turbulence over the Atlantic, but will smooth out. The flight will take about 14 hours or so, so sit back and relax. Thank you." The captain said.

The whole plane erupted with applause from the soldiers. The media videotaped them going crazy as the captain hung up the microphone for the intercom. Artie and Finn were talking and laughing as Puck went to sleep.

* * *

Puck 'woke up' sitting shotgun inside of a Humvee. There were five soldiers sitting in the vehicle with one soldier manning the turret. They were leading a convoy of 6 cars, with 2 transport trucks.

"This is a boring day." One of the soldiers said from behind him.

"Shut up dude. At least we're not getting shot out." Another one said.

"Both of you shut up. Always stay on guard." Puck said as he turned around.

"Yes sir, sorry sir." The first soldier said.

After a few minutes of driving, a loud explosion erupted from one of the cars behind them. Quickly stopping the car, Puck and his soldiers climbed out of the Humvee and secured the area.

"What was that?" One of the soldiers asked as he climbed out of one of the transport trucks.

"I don't know, but get down!" Puck yelled as he signaled him to take cover.

Several minutes passed. Everything was silent until the soldier manning the turret began opening fire on the hillside. Puck looked up and saw about 20 armed men lined up on the cliffs with RPGs and AK47's. Without hesitation, Puck and his men opened fire on the men. After a few minutes of firing at each other, one of the men launched an RPG at Puck's Humvee, exploding it and sending him flying 20 feet. Puck lay there motionless and unconscious as the rest of his men and vehicles were destroyed.

He 'woke up' bloodied and bruised inside of a room, surrounded by several Al-Qaeda. Puck tried to move, but his arms were chained to the bed he was laying on. One of the men pointed the barrel of the gun into his face, but quickly withdrew once another man came in. He was a fairly dark skinned man with a long grey and black beard. He wore a turban and sun glasses, although the room was mostly dark.

"Are you American?" The man asked.

Puck was shocked that he knew English.

"Yeah, I'm an American." Puck said as he glared at the man.

"Do you smoke?" The man asked as he took out two cigarettes.

Puck agreed and the man allowed the chains to come off. Puck sat up and started to smoke.

"So what do you want with me?" Puck asked.

"It's not what I want with you. It's what you want from me." The man said with a laugh.

"What do you mean?" Puck said as he looked at the man.

"Well, as of now, you're my hostage. I see you're a captain. Your government would pay a hefty amount for you, wouldn't they?" The man asked.

"They won't pay a dime for a soldier like me. I wouldn't let them." Puck said as he stood up.

The sound of men cocking their weapons filled the room.

"Relax, captain. We're just talking right now." The man said with a grin.

"I'm done talking. If you're going to kill me, then do it. I've done my service and my wife knows what I'm getting myself into." Puck said.

"If you insist." The man said as he stood up, pulled out his pistol, and shot him in the head.

* * *

"Holy crap!" Puck said as he sat up in his chair.

"What?" Artie said as he turned and faced him.

"I just had a damn nightmare of me being captured by Al-Qaeda." Puck said.

"Let me guess, you tried to be a hero and said that no one would pay for you to be released and your wife knows what you're getting yourself into?" Artie asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Puck asked.

"Because you talk in your sleep." Finn said with a laugh as he turned and looked at him.

"Shut up. How long have we've been flying?" Puck asked as he stretched.

"About six hours or so. You missed the movie. They were showing Black Hawk Down." Artie said with a laugh.

"Oh damnit! I love that movie!" Puck said.

* * *

"So do you ladies want to do a movie night tonight?" Santana asked as they left the restaurant.

"Yeah, I'm down for that. It'll take my mind off of our men being gone." Quinn said with a smile.

"Agreed. What movie should we watch?" Brittany said with a grin.

"I was thinking either Clueless or Titanic." Santana said with a laugh.

"Ohhh Clueless!" Brittany said cheerfully.

Happily agreeing, the girls went back to Santana's, while Rebecca and Brian were dropped off at a babysitter's for the evening.

* * *

**Sorry the girls' part so small. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you guys for amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter!**

* * *

The guys' plane landed in Baghdad around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. After getting their things, the soldiers were led several transport trucks outside to take them to their camp. As they walked outside, the hot Iraqi air greeted them. Almost instantly, the guys started to sweat as they climbed into the trucks.

"I can't believe we're finally over here." Artie said as he watched the truck pull out of the airport and down a dirt road.

"Dude you're telling me. We've been here for 10 minutes and I already hate it." Puck said with a laugh as he wiped the sweat from his head.

"No, I mean we're finally in the army and deployed over here. I'm pumped. What about you, Finn?" Artie asked with a grin.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm pumped to be here." Finn said as he looked out at the barren desert that covered Iraq,

The three continued to talk as they approached their camp. They could hear Raptors flying over head, as well as Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, which Puck instantly loved. Their truck pulled into an abandon airport about 10 miles outside of the city. Hundreds of soldiers were running around the camp, whether they were getting ready to move out or simply to exercise. Finn noticed a basketball court just outside one of the hangers and told Puck and Artie that they were going to play a game as soon as they get a chance. Their truck stopped and instantly surrounded by armed soldiers.

"Do they think we're Al-Qaeda?" Finn said as he raised his hands.

"No, now put your arms down." Artie said as one of the soldiers opened the gate in the back.

All of the soldiers climbed out of the trucks and reported to another hanger where they would stay. Finn, Puck, and Artie grabbed their cots right next to one another, as they watched a few men fight for others. The guys quickly grabbed some lunch and went to the basketball court, where they took on 3 larger soldiers. Puck took an elbow to the eye, while Finn took on to the ribs. Artie played it safe and camped outside the three point line. After playing and losing three games, it was about to be dinner.

"Wait, if its 4 o'clock here, what time is it in Ohio?" Finn asked as they walked back to their hanger.

"It's about 9 a.m." Artie said as he caught his breath.

"Good, Quinn's probably up. I'm going to get a quick internet- message in before dinner. I'll catch up with you guys in a little." Finn said as he ran ahead.

"What a weird guy." Puck said as he dribbled the basketball.

"You can say that again." Artie said with a laugh.

* * *

Finn sat down at one of the computers and typed in Quinn's email. After waiting for her to reply, he looked around at the hanger. Finn could hear soldiers' laughing, TVs playing, and singing in the background. He looked back at the computer just as Quinn appeared on the monitor. She had tears rolling down her cheeks and a smile that could light up any room.

"Hey baby! How are you holding up?" Finn said with a smile.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. More importantly, how are you holding up? What's it like over there?" Quinn asked as she wiped away her tears.

"Other then taking an elbow to the ribs, I'm great. There's not much to do over here. Baghdad is just one massive city surrounded by nothing but sand." Finn said with a laugh.

"Are Puck and Artie keeping you safe though?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, well it's more like I'm keeping them safe." Finn said with a smile.

"I miss you, so much." Quinn said as she put her hand on the monitor.

"I miss you too. I love you." Finn said as he put his hand over hers.

"I love you too. Well I have to go. Santana and Brittany are taking me out to breakfast. They've been really helpful once you guys left yesterday." Quinn said with a laugh.

"Well that's good. Tell them I said hey and that we're all alright over here." Finn said with a smile.

"I will, and tell Puck and Artie I said hey too. Bye baby. I love you." Quinn said with a smile.

Quinn blew him a kiss and logged off. Finn smiled as he walked away from the computer and rejoined the others as they sat down for dinner. Later that night, the guys were told they'd be moving out into the city. Grabbing their stuff, Puck and Finn shook as they walked over to the Humvees. Artie was even more nervous when he climbed into an Apache. At about 9 o'clock, everyone moved out and headed for Baghdad.

* * *

"I wonder what our men are up to." Brittany said with a smile as she took a sip out of his coffee.

"Who knows? As long as they're safe, that's all that matters." Santana said with a laugh.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you all. I talked to Finn this morning. He says hey." Quinn said cheerfully.

"You did? What did he say it was like over there?" Brittany asked, almost spilling her coffee.

"There's nothing to do over there." Quinn said with a laugh.

"Did he say how beautiful it was?" Santana asked.

"No, all he said was that Baghdad was surrounded with nothing, but sand." Quinn said with a grin.

"Well that's boring!" Santana said with a laugh as their waitress brought their food.

"So is daddy safe?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm sure he is. The military wouldn't make them move out on their first day, would they?" Santana asked Quinn and Brittany.

"I have no idea. If they do, I wonder what they're going to do in Baghdad." Brittany said.

Before anyone else could say anything, CNN Breaking News appeared on the TV, hanging over the counter. The girls didn't hear the initial message at first, until they asked the waitress to turn it up.

"_Bob, I'm standing just outside the city of Baghdad. As you can see, the US troops are moving in behind me. Over 10 Humvees are driving into the city, carrying about 50 soldiers._" One of the reporters said.

"_Now, Dave. What are they doing in the night?_" The anchorman said.

"_It's unclear at this time. Around 4 o'clock today, several mortar strikes have been launched against the troops._" The reporter said as the sound of guns firing could be heard in the background.

The camera man did a close up of the Humvees and the girls shrieked when they saw Finn and Puck manning the turrets at the top. Santana and Quinn almost fainted, while Brittany sighed a sigh of relief, not knowing that Artie was flying in a helicopter above.

"_Bob, you can see the lights of the ammunition light up the sky. There are a few Apache helicopters flying above me as they're opening fire._" The reporter said as CNN refocused on the anchorman.

"_Thank you, Dave. We'll keep the rest of you posted when we learn more at this time._" The anchorman said as the waitress changed channels.

"Oh my God. I hope they'll be alright." Brittany said as she looked at Quinn and Santana's expression.

The two sat in silence as they looked down at the table.

* * *

Puck and Finn looked around as their Humvees entered the outer city. A lot of the buildings were either falling apart or boarded up. Gun shots could be heard from the next block over as their convoy headed down the street.

"_Squad One, you have the green light to engage._" Someone from Command said over the intercom in the Humvees.

"Roger that." A sergeant said in Puck's car.

"Heads up. We've got RPGs!" Artie yelled as he and the other Apaches opened fire on the rooftops just above the Humvees.

Puck and Finn began firing as well as a group of 20 Al-Qaeda ran down the streets, firing their Ak-47's at them.

"Take cover!" One of the sergeants yelled as they returned fire.

After a few minutes of firing, the soldiers managed to not only stop the assault, but sustained no casualties. They continued to move out down the street, with the Apaches giving them support fire. The Humvees drove for about an hour or so and only had to deal with a small amount of enemy troops. The soldiers returned back to base safely.

"Wow, not bad for our first day." Artie said with a grin as he hopped onto his cot.

"You had it easy. You didn't have a mob meet you head on." Puck said with a laugh as he put his stuff down and sat on his cot.

"Yeah dude, bullets were flying past our heads." Finn said with a grin.

"Yeah, you're right. Because RPGs are nothing compared to bullets." Artie said with a laugh.

"You're damn right they aren't." Puck said with a laugh.

Artie continued to laugh as he went over to the computers. He entered Brittany's email and waited for her to respond. After a few minutes, Brittany and Brian appeared on the monitor.

* * *

"ARTIE! Oh thank god you didn't get moved out!" Brittany said.

"But I did. Wait, how'd you know that we did?" Artie asked with a laugh.

"We were at breakfast when CNN had the story. We saw Finn and Puck, but didn't see you. Were you in another Humvee?" Brittany asked.

"Naw, I was flying in a helicopter above them. It was amazing." Artie said with a smile.

"Aw baby, don't scare me like that. Are Finn and Puck alright? Quinn and Santana are scared shitless." Brittany said as tears started to fall down her cheek.

"Yeah, they're fine. Don't worry. I have to go. I love you and I miss you." Artie said as he blew Brittany a kiss.

"I love you too and miss you. Be careful. Say bye-bye to daddy!" Brittany said.

Brian let out a smile as Brittany logged off. Artie, wiping away a tear on his cheek, walked back to his cot and fell asleep, while Finn and Puck talked about their first day in Iraq.

**

* * *

Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter.

* * *

Over the next few months, as Quinn's due date rapidly approached, Santana and Brittany would periodically spend more time with her, from spending the night at her house to checking up on her during the day. It was midnight on July 14th when Quinn's water broke. Lucky for her, Brittany was there in the other room.

"Brittany! It's happening!" Quinn screamed as she stood up out of her bed.

Brittany came rushing in to see what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Brittany asked as she caught her breath.

"It's time! Let's go!" Quinn said as she grabbed her suitcase and walked out of the bedroom and headed for the front door.

"Oh shit! Alright!" Brittany said as she quickly grabbed Brian and her car keys and went outside.

She helped Quinn into the front seat and quickly strapped Brian into his car seat. Brittany climbed into the driver's seat and peeled out of the driveway. As she drove towards the hospital, she could Quinn breathe harder and harder. Brittany grabbed her phone and called Santana.

"Santana? It's Brittany. Quinn's ready. Meet us at the hospital!" Brittany said as she swerved in and out of traffic.

"What? Are you serious?" Santana asked as she yawned.

"Yeah! Meet us there." Brittany said as she quickly hung up.

"Is she coming?" Quinn managed to ask as she took deep breaths.

"Hopefully…and here…we…are." Brittany said as she turned into the hospital.

She pulled up just outside the entrance and brought back a wheelchair for Quinn. Helping her onto it, Brittany picked up Brian and half-pushed Quinn inside. They wheeled up to the receptionist.

"Hi, my friend's pregnant and due any second now." Brittany said, catching her breath.

"Oh really?" The receptionist asked as she looked over at Quinn.

"Yes really. Can you help her?" Brittany asked as she started to get irritated.

"I need help in the lobby." The receptionist said over the intercom.

A few minutes later, two nurses ran into the lobby and wheeled Quinn away. The receptionist gave Brittany her room number and went back to work. She quickly ran back outside and parked her car and rushed back inside. Brittany texted Santana Quinn's room number and rushed inside.

"Just breathe. That's it. You're doing great." One of the doctors said.

While Quinn pushed, she started crying, not from the pain of giving birth, but because Finn wasn't there to see it. Brittany walked over, placed Brian in a chair and grabbed Quinn's hand. After pushing a few more minutes, everyone could hear the crying of the baby.

"Just one more push, Quinn." The doctor said as he readied himself.

After one final push, the baby emerged, crying and covered in blood. The doctor cut the umbilical cord and handed Quinn's baby to the nurse to clean it before giving them over to her. A few minutes past and the nurse returned.

"Congratulations. It's a beautiful, healthy baby girl." The nurse said with a smile, handing Quinn's baby over to her.

"Aw, Quinn…" Brittany said as she began to tear up.

"I'm a mother!" Quinn said as she held her baby.

"What did I miss?" Santana said as she rushed into the room.

"Quinn's a mother now." Brittany said as she wiped tears away.

"Aw Quinn! I'm so proud of you!" Santana said as she gave Quinn a hug.

"Thank you guys for being here with me. You two are the best!" Quinn said with a smile.

"Anything for you. So what are you going to name her?" Brittany asked as she sat down next to her.

"I was thinking of Katie. Yeah, Katie Marie Hudson." Quinn said as wiped away her tears.

"That's a beautiful name!" Santana said with a smile.

The three of them sat on the bed and admired Quinn's baby. Brittany made a joke about setting Brian and Katie up on a date when they are older. The three continued to talk all the way until the sun rose.

* * *

"Hudson, Puckerman, and Abrams! You're with me today. Let's move out!" A Lieutenant said as he climbed into one of the Humvees.

Finn, Puck, and Artie was been waiting for a few months to get back into the action after they waited for their squad to be called. Finn has been promoted to Sergeant after his ranking officer was sent home from stepping on a land mine. Puck has been promoted to Corporal for his outstanding duties in the field, while Artie was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant for all of his hard work.

"So where are we going, sir?" Puck asked as he climbed into the Humvee.

"We're going to Mosul, where a large amount of hostile activity has been going on." The Lieutenant said.

"Man, first time I've seen action on the ground since we've got here!" Artie said with excitement as he gripped his M-16.

"Easy there big guy. Don't get all trigger happy on us." Finn said with a laugh.

"I'm not. I'm just excited." Artie said as he took out the picture of Brittany and Brian.

"Dude, you know that's bad luck for you to bring that out here." Puck said.

"I'm sorry. I miss them! Brittany's been way too busy lately and won't respond to any of my emails or write back." Artie said as he looked out of the window.

"She's probably helping out with Quinn. I mean, she's due any day now." Finn said with a smile.

"Yeah dude. Just relax." Puck said as he took out the picture his daughter drew him before he left for Iraq.

"Puck, you're a hypocrite." Artie said with a laugh.

The Humvees rolled into Mosul around 2 in the afternoon. Puck told a Private to man the Turret as they drove down the streets.

"All units are advised. A large number of hostiles are on the move, converging on your positions. I repeat, all units be advised. A large number hostiles are on the move, converging on your position." Someone from Command said over the intercom.

"Fuck. It's never easy, is it?" Finn said as he loaded his weapon.

The Humvees continued to drive down the road, ignoring the warning from Command. Chanting could be heard on the other side of the buildings, as well as gun fire and explosions. The vehicles stopped as they pulled into the town square, where a large bronze statue of Saddam Hussein was erected.

"Fucking bastard is the reason why we're over here to begin with." Artie said as he glared at the statue.

"So Lieutenant, why are we stopping in the middle of the city? We're sitting ducks." Another soldier said as he climbed out of his vehicle.

"Just wait for it." Puck said as the chanting and gun fire rapidly approached.

Within a few minutes, heavily armed men appeared, coming from every surrounding street. The Humvees were positioned in a circle with the men on top of the turrets to provide for a better shelter. Shots started firing at the troops as the hostiles approached. Artie laid on the ground and fired the Al-Qaeda from underneath a Humvee, while Puck and Finn fired over the hoods of the car.

Finn continued to fire round after round as he watched the hostiles fall. However, he felt a pinch in his leg, followed by a warm liquid falling down his leg.

"God damnit, I hope I didn't pee my pants." He said, not noticing that he got hsot.

He continued to fight on, until the pain was too great. Finn collapsed on the ground. Puck yelled for a medic to work on him. He was transported back the camp, passed out and losing a lot of blood.

* * *

Finn woke up in his cot with an IV attached to his arm. He looked around and tried to find Puck and Artie and tell him what was going on. The two were no where to be in sight.

"Hmm Sergeant Finn Hudson. We were worried about you." A doctor said as he approached him.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked as he slowly sat up.

"You lost a lot of blood. Also, the bullet broke one of your bones. In the mean time, we're shipping you back home until you recover." The doctor said as he moved on to his next patient.

"I don't want to go home! I want to be here with my brothers!" Finn said as he protested.

"We're glad that you want to stay and fight, but you're useless right now. You get to go home. Go see your wife or something." The doctor said as he examined someone else.

"_I get to see Quinn! And who knows…I might be there when Quinn will have the baby!_" Finn said as he laid back down in his cot.

* * *

**Sorry to leave it there! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! I hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

Later that night, the soldiers returned tired and hungry. Puck and Artie were the last to walk into the hanger. Looking around, Artie saw Finn lying on his cot. He and Puck ran over to him before they grabbed their dinner.

"Hey dude, how bad is it?" Puck asked as he sat down next to him.

"I don't know. They're sending me home though." Finn said as he looked at the ground.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Artie said as he dropped his helmet.

"No, I don't even want to go. But I can't do anything about it. I'm leaving tomorrow." Finn said as he grabbed the crutches that were left by the doctor.

"Will you come back?" Puck asked as he stood up.

"Hopefully. It'll take more then this bullet wound to keep me down." Finn said with a laugh as the three of them grabbed dinner.

They grabbed their food and went back to their cots and talked about their time here so far. While they were talking, Puck wrote Santana a letter and gave it to Finn.

"Make sure she gets this…please." Puck said with a grin as he handed the letter over to him.

"Well what is it?" Finn asked as he began to open it, only to be punched by Puck.

"Don't read it, dude!" Puck said with a laugh.

"Alright, alright I won't. Artie, do you have anything to for Brittany?" Finn asked as he looked over at him.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to mail this to her for awhile." Artie said as he grabbed an envelope out of his jacket and handed it to him.

"You always were too lazy." Finn said with a laugh as he put the letters in his backpack.

"Hey, I just never got around to it." Artie said with a smile as he ate his food.

"Yeah right." Puck said under his breath.

"So what happened after I got shot?" Finn asked.

"Well, you were rushed away after the medic worked on you for a little. Hostiles were slowly closing in from everywhere. I was almost out of bullets until one of our AC-130's came around and started firing down at them. Artie killed like 15 people too. I only killed five, but I saved your sorry ass." Puck said as he recalled what happened.

"Damn, I miss everything!" Finn said with a laugh as he lied down.

"Yeah, and you'll miss a lot more now that you're going home." Artie said as he looked over at him.

* * *

Finn continued to lay on his cot for a little bit longer, before deciding to go talk to Quinn. He grabbed his crutches and hobbled over to the computers. Finn waited a few minutes for Quinn to appear. Once she did, Finn started to shed a tear as he saw a baby girl in her arms.

"Is…is…is that my baby?" Finn said with a smile.

"Mhm." Quinn said as she started to cry.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Finn asked as he wiped the tears from his cheek.

"It's a girl. I named her Katie." Quinn said with a smile.

"That's a beautiful name. But I have even better news! I'm coming home tomorrow morning Iraqi time, so about 1 in the morning there." Finn said as he put the crutches down and sat down.

"Are you hurt?" Quinn asked as her expression quickly changed.

"Who? Me? No, I was holding these for a friend!" Finn said as he covered up his story.

"Finn Hudson! Don't lie to me!" Quinn said.

"Okay fine, I've been shot, but it's not a big deal. I'm fine." Finn said.

"YOU WERE SHOT? Finn!" Quinn said as she cupped her mouth.

"Baby, don't worry. I'm coming home and that's all that matters." Finn said.

"But you've been shot…"Quinn said as more tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Quinn, I'm okay! I'll be home tomorrow night. Okay? We'll talk then. I love you!" Finn said with a smile.

"I love you too." Quinn said as she logged off.

"_Oh my god! Finn's been shot and he's acting like it's nothing!_" Quinn thought to herself as she put Katie in her crib.

* * *

She grabbed her phone, called Santana and Brittany, and told them that Finn was coming home. They decided to meet up for lunch and talk some more. The girls grabbed their kids and met up.

"So what time is coming home?" Brittany asked as she read over her menu.

"Finn said around 1 in the morning. Do you girls want to go with me to pick him up?" Quinn said with a smile.

"Oh yeah! I want to see what the army's done with them." Santana said with a laugh as she took a sip out of her drink.

"Is daddy coming home too?" Rebecca asked as she colored in her kid's menu.

"I wish, but no sweetie. Only Mr. Hudson's coming home." Santana said softly.

The waitress came around and took their order. After waiting twenty minutes or so, she came back and brought back their food. Thanking her, the girls continued to talk. Brittany told them about Brian saying his first word and how he can almost walk. Santana told them about Rebecca joining the swim team and going to camp for a few weeks. Quinn told them how difficult it was to be a mom now. The three girls laughed as they talked about motherhood.

* * *

Later that night, Santana tossed and turned in her bed as she thought about Puck in Iraq. She pictured him being stronger and had a goatee. Santana turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like eternity. As she slowly drifted to sleep, Rebecca came into her room.

"Mommy, I had a nightmare." She said as she walked in.

"It's okay babe. Come here." Santana said with a smile.

Rebecca smiled as she ran and jumped into Santana's bed. The two cuddled as they fell asleep.

* * *

"Hudson, are you ready to go?" A general said as he walked over to Finn.

"Yes sir." Finn said as he saluted him.

"Alright then. We'll see you soon." He said as he shook Finn's hand.

Finn smiled as he climbed into the Humvee that waited for him outside of the hanger. His bags were already in the trunk. Finn had the two letters safely secured as the Humvee started to drive out of the airport and headed to the International Airport. After driving for thirty minutes, they pulled into the airport and Finn got out. Thanking the soldiers for a ride and the help with his luggage, Finn went through clearance and down the terminal. He grabbed his seat and waited for the plane to take off.

"_Good bye Iraq, hello Ohio._" Finn said as he fell asleep in his chair.

* * *

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	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for not updating for a few days. It's been a weird weekend. Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter as well.**

* * *

Quinn, Brittany, and Santana rolled up to the airport and rushed inside. Quinn couldn't wait to see her husband after months of being separated from each other. The three waited by the terminal for a few hours.

"What time did you say he was coming?" Brittany asked as she held her son.

"He said around 1 a.m. So, thirty more minutes or so." Quinn said with a smile as she held her daughter.

"Aw, I wish Artie and Puck would come home too." Santana said as she sat down.

"Don't worry. They'll be home soon." Brittany said with a smile.

"I hope so. Rebecca's getting really worried about Puck being gone. Ever since he's left, she's been having really bad nightmares." Santana said as she rubbed her daughter's head.

"Really? Have you gone to a psychiatrist?" Quinn asked as she looked over at her.

"Yeah, they don't know what's wrong with her." Santana said as her daughter fell asleep in her lap.

"Aw, well I hope everything's aright." Brittany said.

"Thanks B. I hope so too." Santana said as she kissed her daughter on the forehead.

* * *

"Attention passangers. We're about ten minutes from landing. I ask you to buckle up as we hit the runway. Thank you." The captain said over the intercom.

"_Only ten more minutes and I'll be home._" Finn said in his head as he grabbed his crutches.

"Excuse me sonny. Were you over in Iraq?" An old man asked as he looked over at Finn.

"Yes sir. I was stationed in Baghdad, but had to come home after I've been shot." Finn said with a smile.

"Oh really? Well I think it's great what you're doing over there. I'm a military man myself." The old man said with a smile.

"Really?" Finn asked as he turned and faced the man.

"Why yes sir. I've fought in everything from D-Day to being moved to Iwo Jima. I've seen things that you wouldn't believe. Then my platoon was moved into Korea. I lost my whole squad there. After that, I became a Drill Sergeant during Vietnam." The old man said.

"Wow, I'm surprised you didn't do something for this war." Finn said with a smile.

"I wanted to, but with these old bones, I don't think so." The old man said with a hearty laugh.

"I'm Finn, by the way. Sergeant Finn Hudson." Finn said as he extended his hand.

"A Sergeant, huh? Impressive. I'm Jack White, but you can call me Bud." The old man said as he shook Finn's hand.

The two continued to talk the rest of the time until the plane landed. Thanking Bud for talking to him, Finn grabbed his things and left the plane and headed into the terminal.

* * *

Quinn saw people walking down the terminal and her heart started to race. She called Brittany and Santana over and help find Finn in the rather large mob walking. After a few minutes, Brittany pointed out Finn, who was slowly making his way down. Quinn started to cry as she saw Finn and his wrapped leg. She handed her daughter over to Santana. Finn saw Quinn and quickly made his way over to her. Avoiding running into anyone, he dropped his crutches and hugged her tightly.

"I've missed you so much!" Quinn said as she started to cry.

"I've missed you too, baby." Finn said as he held her in his arms.

After embracing each other, Quinn kissed Finn and let go. Brittany gave her back Katie and then Quinn gave her to Finn. He held her in his arms and smiled. A few minutes passed and Finn was still looking at his daughter.

"She has your eyes." Finn said with a smile as he looked at Quinn.

"Aw, I love you." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too. But here, before I forget." Finn said as he handed Katie back over to Quinn.

He handed Brittany and Santana letters from Puck and Artie and watched as they ripped the envelopes open.

* * *

Brittany looked at the letter and started crying.

_Hey baby,_

_I hope everything's alright at home. I know I haven't been able to talk on the computer or manage to write as much as I want to, but I just want to say that I miss you so much. It's so hard not seeing your beautiful face every day. I look at the picture of you and Brian every day and it's keeping me going. Just thought I'd give you an insight of what's happening with me and the guys over here. Finn's been promoted to a Sergeant, Puck's been promoted to a Corporal, and as for your man, well not to brag or anything, but I've been promoted to Gunnery Sergeant. _

_I don't know when I'm coming home, but when I do…well, I don't know what I'll do. I miss you baby. I love you._

_Love,_

_Artie._

_PS- Look at the picture attached to the letter._

Brittany turned the letter over and cried harder as she saw Artie standing on top of a tank, holding his M-16 in the air. She smiled as she saw how happy he was in the picture. Brittany could see the picture of her and Brian inside Artie's helmet too.

"Thank you for this, Finn. That was sweet of you." Brittany said as she gave Finn as hug.

"You're welcome." Finn said with a smile as he picked up his crutches.

* * *

Santana and Rebecca read Puck's letter together and started to tear up.

_Hey pretty ladies,_

_I'm sorry for not keeping you guys posted. Things have been getting really bad over here. And by the time you read this, you can see that Finn's been shot. It's not an easy job over here. Anyways, I miss you guys. Rebecca, I still look at the picture you drew me almost every day. Thank you so much for it, baby girl. And for my lovely wife-to-be, I stare at the ring on my finger and I think of you. No matter what's going on around me, you're always on my mind. I love you both. I promise I'll be safe._

_Love,_

_Noah_

_PS- I forgot to mention…I've been promoted to Corporal now! I'm moving up in the ranks. Love you!_

"Was Puck with you when you were shot?" Santana asked with a smile.

"With me? He saved my life." Finn said with a smile, as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

* * *

Everyone hugged Finn and then made their way back to their cars. Quinn helped Finn into their car and bucked Katie into her car seat, and headed for home. After driving for thirty minutes and catching up with each other, they made it home. Finn grabbed his things, while Quinn grabbed Katie. He quickly threw his stuff down and made it to bed, and joined by Quinn a few minutes later.

"Welcome home, babe." Quinn said as she kissed him on the lips.

"It's great being home again. Just to be here with you." Finn said as he put his arm around Quinn as she cuddled up against him.

The two fell asleep shortly after talking for a few minutes.

* * *

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	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

"Have you talked to Finn recently?" Puck asked Artie as he grabbed his things before walking towards his Humvee.

"Nope, but I'm going to try in a few minutes." Artie said as he sat up in his cot.

Puck and Artie continued to weather the storm that was the war. Ever since Finn left, they had to rely on each other for support. When Puck was sent out, Artie would give him support in the helicopter above. However, that day, Artie was sent into Baghdad to break up a small riot, while Puck was sent into the countryside.

"Well, wish me luck. And if you do manage to talk to Finn, ask him when he's coming back." Puck said as he climbed into the Humvee.

"Good luck." Artie said with a laugh as he watched Puck leave.

After about twenty minutes, Artie finally walked over to the computers. He entered Finn's email and waited for him to get on. Several minutes passed until Finn finally appeared on the monitor.

"Damn Artie, it's 3 in the morning. What's up?" Finn asked with a laugh.

"Not much, just checking in on you. How's the leg?" Artie asked.

"It's getting better. I should be back next month or so." Finn said with a grin.

"You can't come back any sooner? It's been months." Artie said with a laugh.

"I know. It's so weird not being there. And I got to say, it's no walk in the park taking care of a baby as well. I can't see how you and Brittany managed to put up with it." Finn said with a laugh.

"Well it wasn't easy, but you'll get used to it." Artie said with a smile.

* * *

Puck's Humvee left the sandy, humid area and quickly drove into a greener and rockier terrain. The weather was cooler as they drove higher and high up the road. After a few minutes, Puck and his men pulled over to the side of the road and rested next to a rock wall.

"Alright, we need to establish a perimeter around the Humvee. Harrison, man the turret. Carson and Reddick, you watch both sides." Puck said as he pulled out his bottle of water.

A few of the soldiers talked about how they'd rather be stationed in this side of Iraq, then the boring and hot desert of Baghdad. Harrison was telling Puck about his life back in Philadelphia and how played he college basketball at Duke until he broke his leg in the D-1 Championships his senior year. For once, Puck felt safe until the sound of a dragunov echoed throughout the hillside.

"Take cover!" Puck yelled as he grabbed his M-16 and started looking around for the shooter.

Reddick and Carson returned to the Humvee and surveyed the area. Another shot ripped past them, hitting Harrison in the head. Carson pulled Harrison's body out of the Humvee and climbed into the turret. He started firing where he thought he heard the shot.

"Command, we've got a man down and taking fire 20 miles outside of Baghdad. We need support, now!" Puck yelled over the radio in the Humvee.

"_Corporal, there's nothing we can do at this time. Just sit tight and we'll send a Pavelow in 10 minutes._" Command responded.

"We don't have 10 min-" Puck tried to say as he was interrupted by Reddick screaming.

"RPG!" Reddick yelled as a missile shot across the valley and headed right for them.

Carson tried to escape the Humvee but didn't make it in time. The RPG collided with the vehicle and exploded. Reddick was thrown down the road and killed after slamming against a boulder. Puck managed to duck behind boulder up the road. After staying hidden for a few minutes, he tried to run but was quickly surrounded with hostile soldiers. Puck dropped his weapon and followed them into a transport truck. Before they left, one of the soldiers smashed Puck across the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out.

* * *

Artie and Finn were still talking when soldiers started scrambling around the Hangar. One soldier started yelling that one of the Humvees' were attacked about 20 miles out.

"What's going on?" Finn asked as he looked at Artie's facial expression.

"I don't know. Puck was sent out about 20 minutes ago and now people are saying one the Humvees was just attacked about 20 miles out of Baghdad." Artie said as he looked around.

"Do you think it's Puck's Humvee?" Finn asked.

"I don't know. Let me find out." Artie said as he stood up for a few minutes.

Finn waited nervously as he waited for his friend to return. After a few minutes, Artie returned looking pale and shaking.

"It is Puck's Humvee." Artie said as he looked at Finn.

"You've got to shitting me! Is he alright?" Finn asked.

"No one knows. The last transmission was him telling Command to give support, then someone yelling RPG." Artie said.

"Oh shit. Fuck coming back in a month, I'm going back now." Finn said as he signed off.

* * *

Artie sat there for a few minutes, silently. He couldn't move from the shock he was in until one of the generals called him to get ready. Artie grabbed his things and climbed into one of the attack helicopters. He and three other helicopters moved towards Puck's last position. It took them about 10 minutes to fly out to the spot. A few soldiers dropped out of the helicopter and secured to Humvee while Artie surveyed the area.

"Sir, we have three hostile snipers laying 500 meters due East." One of soldiers said on the turret.

Artie turned his helicopter towards them and opened fire. Two of the hostiles were killed on spot, while one managed to get up and run. Artie repositioned his helicopter and watched as the soldier fired his turret. The hostile fell and Artie flew back to the site.

"What's happening down there?" Artie demanded on the mic as he hovered above.

"We have three dead bodies. Privates Harrison, Reddick, and Carson, but no Corporal Puckerman, sir." One of the soldiers said.

"Sir, we've found a large amount of footprints up the road as well as Corporal Puckerman's weapon." Another soldier said.

"Bring it with you and let's go back." Artie said as he lowered himself down and waited for the soldiers to pile into the helicopters.

They flew back and anticipated what they were going to do next.

* * *

Puck woke up in a large cement room, overlooking the city of Basra. There was a large scar on his forehead from being hit, and blood staining his clothes. He looked around and noticed a small plate filled with some kind of food and a glass of water sitting in the middle of the floor. Puck was tempted to eat, but he didn't want to risk what was inside of it. Ignoring the pain that filled his body, he reached inside his jacket and looked at the picture his daughter drew him and started to cry. Puck slowly stood up, walked over to the window, and looked at the sunset.

_Another day in this carnival of souls__  
__Another night settles in as quickly as it goes__  
__The memories of shadows, ink on the page__  
__And I can't seem to find my way home_

_And it's almost like__  
__Your heaven's trying everything__  
__Your heaven's trying everything__  
__To keep me out_

_All the places I've been and things I've seen__  
__A million stories that made up a million shattered dreams__  
__The faces of people I'll never see again__  
__And I can't seem to find my way home_

_Cause it's almost like__  
__Your heaven's trying everything to break me down__  
__Cause it's almost like__  
__Your heaven's trying everything to keep me out_

_Cause it's almost like__  
__Your heaven's trying everything to break me down__  
__Cause it's almost like__  
__Your heaven's trying everything__  
__Your heaven's trying everything to break me down__  
__To break me down__  
__To break me down_

_Your heaven's trying everything__  
__Your heaven's trying everything to break me down__  
_

Puck finished singing to himself and looked back at his daughter's picture. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

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	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry for not updating in awhile. It's been a long week. Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter!**

* * *

Puck woke up to the opening of the metal door. Sitting up against the cement walls, he opened his eyes and watched 3 armed men walk in and pick him up. They dragged his limp body down a cold hallway and into an office. The men sat him down in a chair and left the room. Behind the desk sat a small man with a beret and a tan uniform. Puck couldn't see the man's face very well in the morning sun.

"Corporal Noah Puckerman, Army Ranger. Respectable." The man said in perfect English as he threw Puck's I.D. on the desk.

Puck remained silent as his eyes adjusted to the light. The man lit a cigar as he studied him closely.

"You don't speak much, do you American?" The man asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't speak to terrorists." Puck said as he dropped his head.

"You call it terrorism. I call it liberation from your pathetic UN rules. Your stupid country may have captured Suddam, but he is the least of your worries." The man said as he stood up, blocking the morning sun.

Puck got a better look at the man. His skin was tan, like any Middle- Eastern person, and had a dark brown goatee. The man had a scar under his left eye and wore rather large glasses.

"Do you know who I am?" The man asked.

"No, and I don't care either. Just take me back to my cement room." Puck said as he spit on the ground.

The man walked over and slapped Puck across the face, causing him to fall out of his chair.

"You will show me some respect!" The man yelled as he stood over Puck.

"Go to Hell, you bastard." Puck said with a grin as he sat up.

The man started to laugh as he called back in the armed men. They carried him back down the hall and threw him back into his cement room.

* * *

Puck smiled as he slowly stood up and walked back to the window. He looked out over the city and noticed a Black Hawk fly over head. It was too far away to see him, but Puck could faintly hear something over the intercom from it.

"_Corporal Noah Puckerman. We won't leave you behind!_" The pilot said as he flew away.

"Yeah, right." Puck said as he slumped down against the wall.

He pulled out the picture and started thinking about how Santana must be freaking out about him missing. Puck started to cry, thinking about her and Rebecca's reaction and how much he missed them. He changed his thought about them to thinking about how his life changed in high school when Finn saved his life.

* * *

It was after their last baseball regular season game of their sophomore year. The warm April air beat down on them hard. Puck just hit a walk off single, with Finn at third, to beat their cross-town rivals 5-4 to clinch a playoff spot. The team cleared the dug out and dog-piled on top of him in celebration. After the team dispersed and went back into the locker room, Puck changed clothes and went out into the parking lot. As he approached his car, one of the fans from the other team tried to run him off the road. Puck didn't see the car at first, but Finn pulled him away at the last second.

"WILLIAM MCKINLEY HIGH SUCKS!" The fan yelled as he gave them the middle finger.

"Are you alright, dude?" Finn asked as he helped Puck up.

"Yeah, thanks dude! If you hadn't pulled me away, I would've been done for." Puck said as he dusted himself off.

"It's the least I can do. Hey, listen…We haven't really talked since, well…you know, but it was way too long ago. I'll forgive and forget if you do." Finn said as he stuck out his hand.

"Naw, I ruined things with you and Quinn. I can't forget that. I owe you one though bro." Puck said, unsure if he should shake his hand or not.

"Dude, it's all good. We used to be best friends. I miss having my wingman with me." Finn said with a smile.

"Well, last time I checked, you were my wingman." Puck said with a laugh as he shook Finn's hand.

For the first time since the whole Karofsky and Kurt incident earlier that year, Finn and Puck were friends again.

* * *

"Man, if he hadn't pulled me away from that car, I wouldn't be where I am today." Puck said with a smile as he rested his arms on his knees.

He continued to think as he heard someone over the intercom. They were reciting the Muslim prayer. Puck could hear chairs being moved around outside as he assumed the armed men were getting ready to pray.

* * *

Artie walked around the hangar while the rest of the soldiers were preparing for the U.S.O show that night. He couldn't shake the idea of Puck being captured somewhere out of Baghdad and how Santana and Rebecca would take the news. After thinking for a little bit, he joined everyone else in the make-shift auditorium, where several singers were performing, like Toby Keith, Dean Brody, Disturbed, and 3 Doors Down. Artie caught two songs before heading back to the hangar.

Toby Keith walked onto the stage and sat on a stool as the soldiers applauded.

"Thank you, thank you! This song is for you all out there who are giving yourselves for the protection of our country." Toby Keith said as he started playing.

_I'm just trying to be a father__  
__Raise a daughter and a son__  
__Be a lover to their mother__  
__Everything to everyone__  
__Up and at 'em, bright and early__  
__I'm all business in my suit__  
__Yeah, I'm dressed up for success__  
__From my head down to my boots_

_I don't do it for the money__  
__There's bills that I can't pay__  
__I don't do it for the glory__  
__I just do it anyway__  
__Providing for our future's my responsibility__  
__Yeah I'm real good under pressure__  
__Being all that I can be_

_And I can't call in sick on Mondays__  
__When the weekends been too strong__  
__I just work straight through the holidays__  
__And sometimes all night long__  
__You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door__  
__Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey, I'm true down to the core_

_And I will always do my duty no matter what the price__  
__I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice__  
__Oh, and I don't want to die for you__  
__But if dyin's asked of me__  
__I'll bear that cross with honor__  
__'Cause freedom don't come free_

_I'm an American soldier, an American__  
__Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand__  
__When Liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right__  
__I'm out here on the front line__  
__Sleep in peace tonight__  
__American soldier, I'm an American soldier_

_Yeah, an American soldier, an American__  
__Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand__  
__When Liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right__  
__I'm out here on the front line__  
__So Sleep in peace tonight__  
__American soldier, I'm an American__  
__An American, an American soldier__  
_

The soldiers erupted with cheers and applause as Toby Keith left the stage and Disturbed walked onto the stage. They too honored what the soldiers were doing and began playing.

_Never again will I be dishonored__  
__And never again will I be reminded__  
__Of living within the world of the jaded__  
__They kill inspiration__  
__It's my obligation__  
__To never again, allow this to happen__  
__Where do I begin?__  
__The choices are endless__  
__Denying the sin__  
__My art, my redemption__  
__I carry the torch of my fathers before me_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away__  
__There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice__  
__To change myself, I'd rather die__  
__Though they will not understand__  
__I won't make the greatest sacrifice__  
__You can't predict where the outcome lies__  
__You'll never take me alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive_

_Change again, cannot be considered__  
__I rage again, dispelling my anger__  
__Where do I begin?__  
__The choices are endless__  
__My art, my redemption, my only salvation__  
__I carry the gift that I have been blessed with__  
__My soul is adrift in oceans of madness__  
__Repairing the rift that you have created__  
__I am not alone, brothers, give me your arms now_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away__  
__There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice__  
__To change myself, I'd rather die__  
__Though they will not understand__  
__I won't make the greatest sacrifice__  
__You can't predict where the outcome lies__  
__You'll never take me alive_

_I'm no slave__  
__Are you feeling brave?__  
__Or have you gone out of your mind?__  
__No more games__  
__It won't feel the same__  
__If I hold my anger inside__  
__There's no meaning__  
__My soul is bleeding__  
__I've had enough of your kind__  
__One suggestion, use your discretion__  
__Before you label me blind_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away__  
__There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice__  
__To change myself, I'd rather die__  
__Though they will not understand__  
__I won't make the greatest sacrifice__  
__You can't predict where the outcome lies__  
__You'll never take me alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
__I'm alive__  
_

Disturbed finished playing as the soldiers erupted with applauses again. Artie walked out of the auditorium as he heard 3 Doors Down begin to play Citizen Soldiers. He walked back to the hangar and lay down in his cot, where he fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

"Finn, are you alright?" Quinn asked as she walked into their bedroom to see Finn bury his head in his pillow.

"Far from it. Puck's missing, Artie's clueless on what to do, and I'm at home, useless." Finn said as he sat up on their bed.

"I know it's rough. Look, you're wounds healing up perfectly. You can go back over tonight if you wanted to." Quinn said with a smile as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah, but I don't want to leave just yet. I just got home and barely spent time with you and Katie." Finn said.

"It's okay, babe. Saving Puck's more important. We'll be here when you get back." Quinn said with a smile as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Thanks baby." Finn said with a smile as he kissed her.

He climbed out of bed, and with Quinn's help, finished packing quickly. Finn walked down to Katie's room and picked her up out of her crib.

"You're such a cute little baby." Finn said with a smile as he brought her back into his room.

He hopped back into bed and was joined by Quinn.

"You know, she definitely has your eyes." Finn said with a smile as he kissed Quinn again.

"Yeah, but she has your way of thinking." Quinn said with a laugh as she rested her head on Finn's shoulder.

The three of them continued to lay on the bed until 5 o'clock when they left for the airport. Finn was met there by his parents, Brittany and Brian, and Santana and Rebecca. Before he went down the terminal, he kissed Quinn and Katie goodbye. His parents cried as they gave him a hug. Brittany kissed him on the cheek and handed him a letter for Artie. Finn turned to Santana, who broke down crying. She embraced him and whispered in his ear.

"You bring Puck home." She said as tears fell down her cheek.

Finn hugged her and everyone else one more time and walked down the terminal. He put his luggage in the cabinet above him and took his seat. Finn looked out his window and saw everyone lining the windows, waving at him one last time. Smiling, he waved back.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect! The songs that were used are American Soldier- Toby Keith and I'm Alive- Disturbed**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

Finn slept through most of the flight back to Iraq. He made small talk with some of the people around him as well. There was a man from New York who Finn talked to for awhile. He was a former cop, who had to resign after taking a few bullets to his legs and chest. Now the man wanted to fulfill his life's long dream of going to India and visiting the Taj Mahal, as well as climb K-2. Finn and he talked until he fell asleep, leaving Finn to talk to an American Exchange student, going over to Iraq for a few months.

"So what are you studying?" Finn asked with a smile.

"Bio-engineering at the University of South Carolina. This is my first time out of America since I was 4 when my dad was stationed in Germany for some reason." The girl said with a grin as she looked up at Finn.

"Bio-engineering? Wow, someone's going for gold. I majored in Business and Marketing, but right now, I'm in the military." Finn said with a grin.

"Oh really? What's it like?" The girl asked him.

"Well, it's nothing like Call of Duty. What you see on TV is not even close to what really goes on. Believe me, it's ten times worse." Finn said with a small laugh.

"So why are you going back?" The girl asked softly.

"A few reasons actually. I'm going back mostly because my best friend is missing in action and I'm not going to stand beside while he's gone. The second reason is because when you're over there fighting, it can change you." Finn said.

"What do you mean it can change you?" The girl asked.

"Good question…well, when you're home away from your wife for so long, you become dependent on the only thing that surrounds you on a daily basis, and that's brotherhood. Sure, there are girls in the military, but when you're out on the frontlines, in the end, it's the person who is right next to you the whole time that you can call a brother." Finn said with a smile as he thought about what it was like their first time moving out.

"Aw that's amazing. I hope your friend is alright!" The girl said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"_Yeah, same._" Finn said in his head as he dozed off for a few hours.

* * *

He woke up to the sudden jolt of the plane's front wheels and the ground connecting. Finn looked out of the window and noticed a large amount of smoke coming from Baghdad. He watched in amazement as he saw three Black Hawks fly overhead. Finn grabbed his stuff and exited the plane. A transport truck waited outside for him as he grabbed his stuff from baggage claim. Finn continued to look out at large smoke as they approached the hangar.

The truck pulled up to the hangar and Finn was greeted by several troops, who he fought with before he got shot. Artie didn't know Finn had come back just yet as he sat down on his cot. Finn walked over to him and surprised him, almost giving Artie a heart attack.

"Dude! What are you doing back so soon?" Artie asked as he caught his breath.

"Nice seeing you again too." Finn said with a laugh as he put his stuff down.

"Sorry, it's just…you were shot and I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Artie said with a smile.

"Well, I mean…how could I not come back? We have to get Puck back, don't we?" Finn said with a grin as he sat down on his cot.

"Yeah, but how? We have no idea where he is. I tried looking for him, but his trail goes cold once the car he was taken in hit the pavement." Artie said as he looked at the ground.

"Damn, well good thing I had a long flight. I did some thinking and found a way we can look. We'll take a small group and drop into the nearest city. From there, we'll infiltrate a few buildings." Finn said with a grin.

"Are you trying to get us killed? Look, I have an easier way that will not only work, but will save our asses." Artie said.

"Alright, let's hear it." Finn said.

"Okay, so while you were recuperating, I managed to find someone who is working with us in one of the cities and he said he saw a few armed men carry someone into a building in Basra. I don't know how accurate it is, but it's worth a shot. Now that we know where we can look, we can go with your plan and drop in." Artie said with a smile.

"I like it! Just one problem. We don't know how many armed men there are in the city." Finn said as he changed into his military clothes.

"Does it matter? We're trying to get our friend back. I'd rather die finding Puck, then sit around while God knows what's happening to him." Artie said.

"Okay, okay. Easy there killer. I want him back too, but we've got to do it right, alright?" Finn said to calm down Artie.

"Yeah I know. So when do you want to leave?" Artie asked as he looked up at him.

* * *

Santana woke up crying. She couldn't get over the fact that her fiancé was missing overseas. Rebecca still didn't know about what was happening, but she could tell something was wrong. Santana got out of bed and checked in on Rebecca, before returning to her own bed. She turned on the TV, in hopes to hear anything good from Iraq.

"_U.S. troops are still looking for Corporal Noah Puckerman._" The headline read.

"Oh my God! Finn and Artie better find him!" Santana said as she buried her head into her pillows.

Turning off her TV, she forced herself back to sleep. The next day, Santana met up with Brittany and Quinn. She dropped Rebecca off at day-care, while the ladies went out to a late lunch.

"So how are you holding up?" Quinn asked.

"I'm okay. It's just…I can't imagine what's going on over there. My baby's missing and I can't do anything to help him." Santana said.

"Aw, it's okay. Our men will get him back, I promise." Brittany said as she hugged Santana.

"Thanks you guys. I don't know what I'd do without you." Santana said with a smile.

"You know we'll always be here for you! Here, tonight, we'll go clubbing again. We can get another babysitter. Besides, I can use a drink after going nine months without one." Quinn said with a laugh.

"Oh hell yeah! Can we please?" Brittany asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'd love to! Brittany, call up that Katie girl and see if she'll watch the kids again." Santana said with a grin.

Brittany quickly dialed Katie's number and was overjoyed that Katie was able to babysit. The girls finished up eating and drove back to their houses to get ready. Santana and Rebecca drove over to Quinn's to pick her and her daughter up. They headed over to Brittany's and waited for Katie to arrive. Thanking her for babysitting, the girls happily left and drove to the club.

* * *

Like before, they walked in with their arms locked. The music was blasting as they headed towards the middle of the dance floor. After a few songs, they sat down at a table and ordered some drinks. They talked and talked, until Quinn's favorite song came on. Grabbing the two girls' hands, she pulled them onto the dance floor and began dancing again. However, Brittany noticed the man who tried hitting on her before. He looked a lot bigger then before.

"Quinn, we should go." Brittany said as she looked over at him.

"Why? What's wrong?" Quinn asked as she looked at Brittany.

"Look." Brittany said as she pointed to the man.

"Oh shit, that's the dude from a few months ago." Santana said.

"Yeah, can we please go?" Brittany asked.

"Come on, Brittany. He probably doesn't reme-" Quinn started to say but was interrupted.

"Hey ladies. Miss me?" The man said with a grin.

"What the fuck do you want?" Santana asked as she put herself between him and Brittany.

"I just want to talk." The man said with a laugh.

"Well, how about I give you my foot to your dick again?" Brittany yelled behind Santana.

"Man, you are a feisty one, aren't you?" The man continued to laugh.

"Let's go." Quinn said as she began to walk towards the exit.

"You're just mad because you're not as hot as these two." The man yelled up to her.

"What did you say, asshole?" Santana screamed in the man's face.

"She heard me." The man said with a grin..

Brittany caught the man off guard again and kicked him in the dick. He dropped on the floor and started crying as the girls walked away, arms locked, and laughing.

"Quinn, don't listen to that guy. You're sexy." Santana said with a smile as she hugged her.

"Aw, thanks beautiful." Quinn said with a laugh.

The girls ordered a few more drinks, danced to a few more songs, and headed home. They paid Katie for babysitting and crashed at Brittany's for the night.

* * *

"Alright, let's move out!" Artie said to a small group as they piled into one of the Black Hawks.

Finn was the last to climb. He and Artie sat on the edge of the helicopter and watched the scenery change from hot desert to cooler fields in matter of minutes. The helicopter flew down the road, all the way into Basra. The city was engulfed with smoke and flares as the troops were lowered closer to the ground.

"Be ready to drop in 3…2…1. Go!" Finn said as he hooked up the ropes to the latches outside of the doors.

One by one, the troops slid down the ropes until it was only Artie and Finn. Finn went down first to secure the perimeter. As Artie latched up, he noticed an armed man on the roof with a loaded RPG. He fired at the Black Hawk, missing it by inches. Artie quickly slid down the rope, but missed the landing zone. He landed on top of a roof above. Before the armed man could reload, Artie fired two rounds from his M-16, killing him instantly.

"_Artie, are you alright?_" Finn asked over the intercom.

"_Yeah, I'm good. I'll be down in a second. Secure the perimeter._" Artie said as he headed down the stairs.

He reunited with the squad as they looked around every corner. Finn and Artie quickly went over the battle plan and started heading down a long street.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

Puck woke up to the armed men earlier and they brought him into a large room with shackles on the wall. The men cuffed him and attached two cables to his body that were connected to some machine. When Puck tried to fight back, one of the men hit him with the butt of his gun again, disorienting him. After a few minutes of regaining his composure, the scarred man walked in.

"You do know I have the upper hand in this situation, don't you Corporal?" The man asked.

"Go fuck yourself." Puck said as he spat on him.

"You just don't learn, do you?" The man asked as he gave one of the armed men a signal to turn on the machine.

Puck yelled in pain as volts of electricity surged through his body. After a few seconds, the man signaled the other man to stop.

"Who are you?" Puck finally asked, lifting his head at the man.

"My name is Abida Malik Zaid. That's all you need to know, stupid American." The man said.

"_Abida Malik Zaid…why does that name sound so familiar?_" Puck asked himself.

"Why can't you just let me go?" Puck asked as he spat up blood.

"Because that's too easy. What do we get out of this?" Abida asked.

"To live another day…" Puck said with a grin.

Abida signaled the armed man to turn on the machine again. The machine gave Puck a stronger dose of volts. He screamed in pain again. Abida signaled for the man to stop.

"We can do this all day, Corporal. Either way, there's nothing you can do." He said with a laugh as he watched Puck spit up more blood.

"Okay, I give up. What do you want with me?" Puck asked.

"It's more like what you can do for me. You see, your pesky American friends keep meddling where they shouldn't and ruining everything. Now, I can be a very reasonable guy. All I ask is that you call up Major General Henderson and tell him to pull out." Abida said with a grin as he reached into Puck's pocket.

"Whoa, easy there, Abida. You'll have to buy me dinner first." Puck said as he jerked his legs.

Abida laughed as he pulled out a picture of Santana and Rebecca.

"Quite a cute family you have here, Corporal. It'd be awful if your family never saw you again." He said as he looked at the picture.

"Give me that back, you ugly ass bastard!" Puck yelled as he tried to fight to get his picture.

"You know what you have to do." Abida said as he walked out of the room.

"Get back here, you fucking terrorist." Puck yelled as Abida disappeared down the hall.

The armed men gave Puck one more violent dose of electricity. He screamed in pain before blacking out. The guards unshackled him and brought him back to his cement room.

* * *

Artie and Finn continued down the street, guns drawn. They made it two blocks since they dropped and only saw a few armed militia.

"You know, I'm surprised. You'd think this place would be swarming with ugly ass Iraqi soldiers." Artie said as looked around a corner.

"Yeah, you'd think so. But don't get too cocky, hot shot." Finn said with a smile as he looked in a small sandwich shop.

As they came across an intersection, Finn pointed out a TV broadcasting station on the other side of the buildings. Artie led the way through the back allies of a neighborhood with Finn covering in the back. The group emerged into a large parking lot full of flipped cars and burning garbage all over.

"This can't be good." One of soldiers said behind Artie.

"Stay on guard and keep your guns drawn." Artie said as stopped behind a flipped truck.

Peeking over the top, he saw six fully armed men smoking cigarettes outside and a man on a turret, attached to a truck.

"What's the plan?" Another soldier asked Finn.

"Well, we need to search the station. For all we know, Puck could be in there." Finn said as he peeked over top.

"In a TV broadcasting station? Sounds stupid, even for them." The first soldier said.

"Who knows? But we're going in anyways." Artie said.

* * *

Finn took 3 soldiers to the right to flank the armed men, while Artie went left. Artie signaled over to Finn to take out the man on the turret first. While avoiding detection, Finn quickly hooked up a suppressor onto his barrel and took aim. Wiping the sweat from his eye, he pulled the trigger and watched the man fell back over the side of the truck.

The other armed men quickly grabbed their AK-47s and instantly went on guard. Artie threw a flash bang grenade and turned away as a large ball of light exploded out of the can. Disoriented, the armed men rubbed their eyes while the troops quickly rose up over the cars and started firing at them. One by one, the armed men fell, bloodied and dead.

"Good shot, Finn." Artie said as they re-grouped at the front of the building.

"Thanks." Finn said as he took point.

Getting ready to kick down the door, Finn waited for Artie to tap him on the back to give him the okay. When he felt it, he walked in front of the door, kicked it open and moved to the back of the line.

"Alright, let's go." Artie said as he went inside.

* * *

The inside of the broadcasting station was a series of hallways with news room at the very top. They checked every room and found nothing until they were outside of the news room.

"Shh I hear talking on the other side. Rookie, do you have a snake-camera on you?" Finn asked with a whisper.

One of the soldiers pulled out a long cable attached to a box and handed it to him. Finn quickly turned the camera on and slid it under the door.

"What do you see?" Artie asked.

"There are about 4 of them. Let's cut the power and night-vision." Finn said as he located the power box.

Everyone hooked up their night vision goggles and gave Finn the signal. He flipped the switch and listened to the men yell in frustration as Artie kicked the door open and began firing. Finn quickly flipped the switch and went into the room. All the armed men were shot in the head.

"Nice shooting to you too, Artie." Finn said with a smile as he knelt down next to one of the men.

"Yeah, but Puck's not here though." Artie said as he looked around the room.

"Sir? We've got a problem." One of the soldiers said as he emerged from the camera room.

"What is it?" Artie asked as he walked over.

In the room, was a large bomb with 2 minutes counting down.

"We need to get the fuck out of here. Move…move…MOVE!" Artie yelled as everyone ran towards the door.

Running back the way they came, they barely made it out before the whole building erupted. The blast sent Artie flying a few feet into one of the flipped cars.

"Artie, are you alright?" Finn asked as he rushed over.

"Yeah, I'm…good." Artie said with a grin as he cracked his back.

Finn laughed as he helped him up. The group regained their composure and headed down another street towards the town square.

* * *

**I know it's like Call of Duty- Modern Warfare, but while I was writing it, all I could think about was that TV station level haha. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for not updating in awhile. It's been crazy recently. Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

"_Bravo Nine, this is Command. What is your current position? Over._" Command said over the walkie-talkie in Finn's pocket.

"Command, this is Bravo Nine. We're 6 klicks north of our drop zone, next to the town square. Over." Finn replied.

"_Be advised, Bravo Nine. There is a large number of armed militia heading your way from the east. I repeat. There is a large number of armed militia heading your way from the east. Over._" Command said.

"Roger that. Bravo Nine, out. Over." Finn said as he put the walkie-talkie in his pocket.

"What is it?" Artie asked as he looked around the corner.

"Militia coming from the east. We need to set up a perimeter in one of these buildings." Finn said as he too looked around the corner.

Off in the distance, he could hear the chanting and gun fire from the militia. Finn also could make out engines running.

"Alright, they're coming. Let's go." Finn said as he kicked in the door of one of the buildings overlooking the town square.

The rest of the troops followed, with Artie covering the rear. They checked every room as they made their way to the second floor. After checking all the rooms again, they positioned themselves in a conference room. From this position, they could see almost everything that came through the square. The square itself was full of burning cars, dead bodies, and a decapitated statue of someone holding an AK-47 in one hand and the globe in another. The head of the statue lay 20 yards away.

"10 bucks says it's Saddam Hussein." One of the soldiers said with a grin.

"I wouldn't be surprised. This is where his two sons lived before they were gunned down by us." Another soldier said in a cocky tone.

"It's not Saddam. It's Abida Malik Zaid." Artie said.

"Who is he?" Another soldier asked.

"He was Saddam's right hand man until Saddam was captured in 2003, during Operation Red Dawn. Now, Abida has all of the nuclear warheads and troops. There's a good chance he has Puck too." Artie said.

"Well we can't wait and find out. We have to find Puck." Finn said as the chanting grew louder and louder.

* * *

After a few minutes of waiting, the armed men poured into the town square. 20 or so men walked around the square as two trucks with turrets on the back parked next to the statue.

"Alright, let's move. Be careful. There's rubble all over the floors." Artie said as he took point.

The first few soldiers proceeded with caution. As one of them began to walk, he tripped and kicked a piece of wood out of the whole in the wall, sending it crashing down in the street. The armed men turned towards the building. One of them spotted the troops and pointed as he yelled to shoot. There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of cocking could be heard.

"RUN!" Finn yelled as a barrage of bullets ripped through the building, missing him by inches.

Everyone sprinted down the hallway, avoiding the bullets that pierced through the walls. Artie kicked open the door to the stairway and led the way down. As they made it out of the building, three RPGs were fired at the spot that they were at, shaking the perimeter where they stood.

"Alright, they still think we're still inside. We're going to try to sneak around them, okay?" Artie said as he looked around the corner.

* * *

Once the coast was clear, Finn started leading the troops around the armed men. Almost instantly, they were spotted. Bullets started flying past them as they ducked into a sandwich shop.

"Command, this is Bravo Nine. We're pinned down. Over." Finn yelled into the walkie-talkie, as bullets continued to fly past them.

"_Bravo Nine, this Command. Assistance will be there. E.T.A 10 minutes. Hold on. Over._" Command replied.

"Finn, we need a medic. Johnson's been hit." Artie said as he looked at one of the soldiers, screaming in pain.

"Johnson, where are you hit?" Finn asked as he rushed over to him.

"His chest, sir!" Another soldier yelled as he took off his jacket, revealing a pool of blood.

"Finn, wash out the wound. Higgins, put pressure on it. Johnson, hold on we'll get you out of here." Artie said.

"Command, we have a man down. I repeat, we have a man down. Over" Finn said as he poured water on Johnson's chest.

"_Bravo Nine, we're doing everything we can to get to your position. Secure the perimeter, so we can land. Over._" Command said.

"Roger that." Finn said as he let out a sigh.

"Are they coming, sir?" Higgins asked.

"Yeah, but we need to secure the perimeter. Martin, Williams, and Morris, you're with me. Artie, make sure he's alright." Finn said as he led the three out of the back of the sandwich shop.

"What are we doing, sir?" Morris asked.

"Taking the square." Finn said as he took out his M-16 and readied himself behind a large wall.

The other three readied themselves as well. Finn gave the signal and they started opening fire on the armed men. Finn went for one of the men on the turret as the other turned and fired at him, grazing him in the arm. Morris and Williams threw grenades, exploding the vehicles as Finn and Martin gave covering-fire.

* * *

While the four were diverting the gun fire to them, Artie and Higgins were doing everything they could to keep Johnson alive.

"Mo-mo-morphine." Johnson said as he spat up blood.

"We don't have any, Johnson. Just stay with us." Higgins said calmly as he held the wound, while Artie looked around for something to stop the bleeding.

"Oil, no. Sauce, no. Salt!" Artie said as he grabbed the bag from the back and rushed over to Higgins.

"Salt, sir?" Higgins asked as he looked at the bag.

"It'll stop the bleeding. Alright Johnson, this will sting a little, but it's going to help, alright?" Artie asked as he opened the bag.

Johnson gave him a weak nod as he put a piece of cloth in his mouth. Artie slowly grabbed some salt and placed it on the wound. Johnson bit down on the cloth as hard as he could as he yelled in pain.

"Easy, big guy. Just relax." Higgins said as he held him down.

Artie wrapped some more cloth around Johnson's chest as they helped him sit in a chair.

"Higgins, watch over Johnson. I'm going to help the others." Artie said as he grabbed his gun and went out back.

Artie was too focused on saving Johnson's life that he forgot all about how loud it was outside. He rushed over to the soldiers and fired at the armed men. After several more minutes of shooting, the armed men dispersed and fled back to the east.

"Where are you running, you cowards?" Morris yelled as he shot one more shot at them.

"Easy there soldier." Finn said as he looked out from behind the wall.

"Just as we do that, the helicopters finally show up." Artie said as a Black Hawk appeared over one of the buildings.

"Yeah, we're just that good." Finn said with a laugh as he patted Artie on the back.

"Alright, let's get Johnson and get him the Hell out of him." Artie said as he walked back inside.

The helicopter slowly touched down and 4 soldiers emerged around it. Finn and Artie helped Johnson onto the helicopter and thanked the pilot. They watched as the helicopter slowly took off and headed back to base.

"Alright guys. Let's move out!" Finn said as grabbed his things.

Everyone else groaned as they grabbed their stuff and followed him down the street.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews are always perfect.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! Hope you guy all like this chapter!**

* * *

The girls woke up the next day by the TV left on from the night before. Santana rubbed her eyes as she read the bottom line, while Brittany turned up the volume.

"_Good morning, everybody- this Bob Rolen reporting breaking news for you from CNN. We go live to David Rodriquez in Basra where an elite group of American soldiers have been sent inside to search and rescue Corporal Noah Puckerman, whose squad was ambushed days before. David?_" Bob, the anchorman said.

"_Thank you, Bob. I'm standing in the middle of Basra's town square where mere hours ago, American troops engaged the armed Al-Qaeda. Sadly, one soldier passed away shortly after he was flown out. His identity has not yet been released at this time._" David said with as explosions could be heard in the distance.

"_Thank you, David. We'll keep you all posted as we get more information._" Bob said as Brittany turned off the TV.

"Not going to think negatively here. There's no way its Finn or Artie." Quinn said as she ran her hands through her hair nervously.

"Exactly. But we need to stop watching CNN. Every time we turn it on, we get a heart attack." Brittany said with a small laugh.

"Agreed. Well I have to go. I'm meeting Puck's parents for lunch. I'll meet up with you guys later." Santana said as she went into the other room to get Rebecca.

"Yeah, I have to go too. Katie and I have a class at the rec center in a little bit." Quinn said with a smile.

"Damn, you two are so busy. Well, have fun. Brian and I are going to the park later if you guys want to join us." Brittany said with a grin.

"Sure, that sounds great. See you then." Santana said as she gave Brittany a hug and left.

Quinn also agreed and gave Brittany a hug, as she walked out of her house. After awhile, Brittany got up off the couch and took a shower. She changed her clothes, made her and Brian some breakfast and left for the park.

* * *

As the troops headed for the northern side of the city, the amount of armed men slowly dwindled. Finn led the troops down a long road leading to the hillside, with Artie covering the rear.

"Command, this is Bravo Nine. Do you have our location?" Artie said over the walkie-talkie.

"_Roger that, Bravo Nine. We have some bad news. Private Johnson passed away after lift off._" Command said.

"Fuck!" Finn said as he threw his walkie-talkie.

"What? What happened?" Artie asked.

"Johnson's dead." Finn said as he sat down.

"Are you serious, sir?" Martin asked.

"Yeah, private. I'm serious." Finn said as he picked up a rock and threw it at a window.

After the troops waited around for a few minutes, a loud explosion erupted from one of the buildings near by.

"Command, are there any troops near by?" Artie asked.

"_Negative, Bravo Nine. You're the only ones in the city at this time._" Command replied.

"Shit, we need to go." Higgins said as the explosions grew closer and closer.

"Alright, let's go." Finn said as he grabbed his gun and headed up the hillside.

* * *

"What was that?" Puck asked himself as he stood up.

He looked through the barred windows and saw fire and smoke rising from the city edge. The sound of bullets echoed through the room as Puck continued to watch as buildings collapsed. After he continued to watch, the armed men walked in, followed by Abida Zaid.

"Missed me that much?" Puck said with a grin as the men grabbed his arms.

"Shut up American. We're done waiting for your government." Abida said as he followed the armed guards.

They took Puke outside to the courtyard, where they strapped him onto a pole in the center. One of the men took out a video camera and started to film the guards beating him until he coughed up blood. Abida walked up to Puck and started to laugh.

"You know it didn't have to be this way, Corporal Puckerman. We could have struck a deal." Abida said as he took at a pistol.

"Man, you are dumber then you look." Puck said with a weak smile.

Abida took the butt of his pistol and slammed it against Puck's cheek, causing him to yell in pain. Puck started spitting up more blood as he fought the pain that filled his body. The armed guards jeered and threw rocks at him as he remained strapped to the pole.

"Even in the face of death, you still defy me. No matter. In about thirty minutes, you'll be dead. Take him back to his room until it's time." Abida said with a grin as he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

"_Santana, I'm sorry._" Puck said to himself as a tear rolled down his cheek.

The guards untied him from the pole and dragged him back to his room. All Puck could think about was how scared Santana and Rebecca must be. After being dragged on the cold ground, the armed men threw him back into his room, where he lay motionless for awhile. After slowly sitting up against the wall, Puck started to cry as a song popped into his head.

_A hundred days have made me older__  
__Since the last time that I saw your pretty face__  
__A thousand lies have made me colder__  
__And I don't think I can look at this the same__  
__But all the miles that separate__  
__Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face_

_I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still on my lonely mind__  
__I think about you baby__  
__And I dream about you all the time__  
__I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still with me in my dreams__  
__And tonight it's only you and me_

_The miles just keep rollin'__  
__As the people leave their way to say hello__  
__I've heard this life is overrated__  
__But I hope that it gets better as we go_

_I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still on my lonely mind__  
__I think about you baby__  
__And I dream about you all the time__  
__I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still with me in my dreams__  
__And tonight girl its only you and me_

_Everything I know, and anywhere I go__  
__It gets hard but it wont take away my love__  
__And when the last one falls__  
__When it's all said and done__  
__It gets hard but it wont take away my love_

_I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still on my lonely mind__  
__I think about you baby__  
__And I dream about you all the time__  
__I'm here without you baby__  
__But you're still with me in my dreams__  
__And tonight girl its only you and me_

Puck finished singing in his head as he awaited his execution. After awhile, the guards picked him back up and brought him back to the pole, where Abida was waiting.

* * *

"_Bravo Nine, be advised. You're approaching Abida Malik Zaid's mansion._" Command said.

"Roger, Command. Bravo Nine out." Finn said as he rushed up to the side of the building.

"This is it. Puck has to be in here." Artie said as he took the lead and walked towards the front door.

"Yeah, I hope so." Finn said under his breath.

Higgins, Martin, Morris, and Williams stacked behind Finn and Artie as they waited for them to breach the front. Artie gave the signal and Finn planted a c-4 charge on the door. The group backed away as Finn pressed the button and watched as the door exploded.

"Alright, go!" Artie said as he stealthily went inside.

The group followed and started checking every room they could. The play was virtually empty, until Finn started hearing cheers and chants coming from the courtyard.

"Artie, I think I found him. Over." Finn said as he walked towards a window.

"_Where is he? Over._" Artie replied.

Finn didn't answer. He froze as he saw his best friend being dragged outside and tied to the pole.

"Bravo Nine, he's in the courtyard. Hostiles in the teens." Finn yelled into the walkie-talkie as he sprinted down the stairs.

He met up with Artie who was taking position underneath a window sill. The others joined shortly after.

"You filthy Americans don't listen to our message, so here's another that I hope you'll enjoy." Abida said into the camera as he took out a large blade and walked over to Puke.

Turning around and facing the camera again, he let out a laugh.

"Death to America!" Abida screamed, as he was joined in by the other men.

"NOW!" Artie yelled as he stood up and began firing.

The soldiers rose up with him, catching Abida off guard.

"Kill them!" He yelled as he ran back into his mansion.

The armed men started opening fire at the soldiers. Finn and Higgins started throwing grenades while Morris and Martin snuck around to flank them. Artie and Williams went the other way, surrounding the armed men. Bullets continued to fly until one loud explosion rang through the courtyard and the last of the armed men fell.

"Puck!" Finn yelled as he ran over to him.

His body was bruised and bloodied. Puck's eyes were purple and he had scars all over his body. Slowly regaining consciousness, he let out a faint smile, revealing his blood-stained teeth.

"You look like shit." Finn said with a laugh.

"You don't look any better, Hudson. Thanks for coming for me, guys." Puck said as he lowered his head.

Both he, Finn, and Artie fought back tears as Finn cut him down.

"Can you walk?" Artie asked as he helped him to his feet.

"Yeah, I can walk, but I have something I need to take care of first." Puck said as he grabbed one of the armed men's AK-47 and rushed into the mansion.

"Where is he going?" Martin asked as he watched.

"I don't know. Artie, call in an evac. I'm going after him." Finn said as he rushed after him.

"Command, this is Bravo Nine. We have found and rescued Corporal Puckerman. Bring us home. I repeat, we have Corporal Puckerman." Artie said.

"_Bravo Nine, good job. We're sending a helicopter to pick you up. ETA, 10 minutes._" Command said.

* * *

Finn rushed down the hall, following a trail of blood. He found Puck holding the rifle to Abida's head and yelling at him.

"Puck, what are you doing? We need him alive." Finn yelled as he walked into the room.

"No, Finn. This guy has caused me too much damn pain to just let him live." Puck said as he cocked his rifle.

"Do you know who he is? He's the leader of Iraq. Abida Malik Zaid has the most nuclear warheads in the whole entire world." Finn said as he tried to talk to Puck.

"Go ahead and shoot me. You'll never find them either." Abida said with a laugh as he lit a cigar.

"Shut up, terrorist." Finn said as he pointed his gun at him.

"Stand up, you ugly ass bitch." Puck said as he shoved the barrel of the gun to Abida's head.

The man stood up and put his hands up. Puck reached into his pocket and grabbed the picture of Santana and Rebecca.

"Let's go, you bastard." Finn said as he pushed Abida out of the room.

Puck and Finn continued to point their guns at him as they went back to the courtyard, where a helicopter waited for them.

"Get inside and shut your mouth." Puck said as he pushed him into the helicopter.

* * *

The soldiers placed Abida into one of the chairs and pointed their guns at him, while Puck, Finn, and Artie sat down in the back to talk. At first, they didn't know what to say to each other. It's been days since Artie's seen Puck and months since Finn has seen him.

"So you came back just to save me?" Puck asked.

"Yeah, dude. You're my best friend. I'd do anything for you." Finn said with a smile as he patted him on the back.

"Thanks dude. If it wasn't for you and Artie, I'd be dead. I owe you two my life." Puck said with a smile as more tears fell down his cheek.

"You'd do the same thing for us." Artie said with a smile.

The rest of the trip back to the base was silent. Puck continued to look at the picture of Santana and Rachel and then looked at Abida, who was shaking at the sight of the base approaching.

* * *

**Sorry to leave a cliffhanger. Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter.**

* * *

The helicopter landed outside of the hanger and immediately swarmed by troops, waiting to see Puck again. As he emerged with Finn and Artie, an uproar of applause and cheers came. The others followed with Abida in the middle. The surrounding soldiers yelled and booed as they watched Abida be led into a separate building for interrogations.

"Hey guys. I'll catch up with you later. I need to talk to Santana." Puck said as he took out his picture.

"Yeah, go do what you have to do." Finn said as he and Artie headed inside the hanger and towards their cots.

* * *

"Santana, turn on CNN…NOW!" Brittany yelled through the phone.

Santana quickly turned on her TV and nearly broke down when she heard the reporter.

"_Corporal Puckerman was found and rescued hours ago. Sergeant Finn Hudson and Gunnery Sergeant Arthur Abrams led group of soldiers throughout Basra in search of Corporal Puckerman. Around 5 o'clock, the group of soldiers breeched and took Abida Malik Zaid's mansion and found the Corporal awaiting execution. After releasing him, he and Sergeant Hudson apprehended Abida Malik Zaid and brought him back to the U.S. base. More on this heroic story later._" The reporter said.

As Santana turned off the TV, she heard a noise coming from her computer. Checking it out, she saw that she had a video-chat request. Her heart dropped as she clicked it, revealing Puck's beaten but smiling face.

"Hey baby." Puck said with a smile as a tear fell down his cheek.

"Noah…you…you're alive!" Santana said as she cupped her mouth.

"Yeah, it's going to take more then a few terrorist bastards to kill me." He said with a grin as he wiped away his tears.

"But…but…but…" Santana managed to say as she still couldn't believe that her fiancé was alive.

"Baby, I'm alive. That's all that matters. How's Rebecca holding up?" Puck asked with a smile.

"She's scared shitless. Neither Brittany, Quinn, nor I knew what was going on. We saw that one of Finn and Artie's soldiers died." Santana said as she wiped her tears.

"I know, and I feel really guilty about it. He was only 19 years old too." Puck said as he put his hands on his forehead.

"Baby, are you alright?" Santana asked as she studied his bruising and cuts.

"Me? Oh yeah, just a little banged up. Nothing that a little good night's sleep shouldn't fix." Puck said avoiding telling her what really happened.

"Puck, what happened over there?" Santana asked.

"_Damnit! She's good._" Puck said to himself as he let out a sigh.

"Alright, so you probably know that my squad was attacked and I was the only surviving one. Well, they knocked me out and took me to Basra, where they beat the living shit out of me. They'd also electrocute me until Abida took my picture of you and Rebecca. Then he and his men strapped me to a pole where they were going to execute me. If it wasn't for Finn and Artie, I'd be dead." Puck said as he looked away from the monitor to hide more of his tears.

"Noah Puckerman! That's so horrible. Are you sure you're okay?" Santana asked as she heard Rebecca coming down the hall.

"Yeah, babe. I'm alright. There's my little girl!" Puck said as Rebecca appeared on the screen.

"DADDY!" Rebecca yelled as she climbed on Santana's lap.

"Hey baby girl. Did you miss me?" Puck asked with a smile as he fought back more tears.

"Mhm, when are you coming home?" She asked cheerfully as she leaned closer to the screen.

"I'll be home in a few months. But I have to go. Baby, tell Quinn and Brittany that I'm alright and that their men saved my life." Puck said as he put his hand on the screen.

"I will baby. I'm glad you're safe. Don't scare me like that again or I will come over there and kill you myself." Santana said with a grin as she put her hand on the screen as well.

"Bye baby girl. Behave for mommy, alright?" Puke said to Rebecca.

"I will, daddy. I love you!" She said as she hopped off Santana's lap and ran down the hallway, singing that her dad's alive.

"I love you, Noah Puckerman." Santana said as she blew him a kiss.

"I love you too, baby. I'm sorry for everything." Puck said as he signed off.

* * *

Puck sat there for a little bit longer before rejoining Finn and Artie at their cots. He sat down for only a few minutes before being bombarded with questions from privates. With the help of Finn and Artie, they disbanded the soldiers and gave Puck some peace for awhile.

"Hey guys. Thanks again for saving me. I owe you guys my life." Puck said before dozing off.

Finn and Artie nodded as they stood up and let him sleep. They went outside and played some basketball until dinner, where they were rejoined by a more lively Puck.

"So you're feeling better?" Artie asked.

"Oh yeah, loads. I forgot how great sleeping on a cot felt. I guess sleeping on a cold concrete ground can make you miss it." Puck said with a laugh as he grabbed his food and followed the others to their table.

"Well its great having you back, but we're not done yet. Because we captured Abida, we were given the orders to interrogate him and then lead another group out to find the nuclear warheads." Finn said as he took a sip out of his drink.

"Great, but don't leave me alone with him, because I swear to God that I'm going to rip his fucking head off." Puck said as he bit down on his chicken.

"Don't worry. All three of us are going to be in there. We've been given the permission to do whatever is necessary to get the information out of him." Artie said with a grin.

"Now that's what I like to hear. When are we going to do it?" Puck asked.

"Right after we eat." Finn said as he continued to eat.

* * *

"So how is he?" Quinn asked as she sat down in the booth at Bread Sticks.

"Puck looks like shit, but he's alright. If it wasn't for Finn and Artie, he'd be…" Santana started to say but broke down.

"Hey, it's okay girl. Puck's alright. He's safe now." Brittany said as she hugged her tight.

"I know. It's just…I'm scared. I mean, Quinn, I bet you were scared shitless when Finn was shot. My baby was missing for days and I had no idea what was happening to him until he told me this morning." Santana said as she choked up.

"What did happen to him?" Quinn asked.

Santana finally calmed down and told them what Puck told her. Both women dropped their jaws at the brutality of the beatings Puck faced.

"Oh my God. How did he manage?" Brittany asked.

"I have no idea. I'm still shocked he's alive." Santana said with a small laugh as she took a sip out of her drink.

"Well as long as our men are all alright and back together, I'm happy." Quinn said with a smile.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews. Hope you all like this chapter as well.**

* * *

After dinner ended, Puck, Artie, and Finn walked outside of their hanger and headed towards the interrogation building. The night air was growing colder and colder as they approached. Saluting the two soldiers guarding the building, Finn opened the door and walked inside, closely followed by Puck and Artie. The three walked down the hallway until they made it to the interrogation room.

"Alright, so how are we going to do this?" Artie asked as they stopped outside.

"I'm thinking we do good cop-bad cop…and Artie." Puck said with a laugh.

"Good one, Puckerman. But seriously, what are we going to do?" Artie asked again.

"Again, we've been given permission to extract information by any means possible." Finn said as he pulled out his pistol from his holster.

"Now that's more like it." Puck said as he opened the door.

The three of them stormed into the room, catching Abida off guard. Puck tilted Abida's chair back, while Finn stuck the gun at his head.

"What are you doing, you stupid Americans?" Abida asked as sweat started rolling down his face.

"Stupid Americans. Bold thing to say when you have a gun pointed at you, huh?" Artie said as he closed the door behind them.

"It doesn't feel good being in the hot seat, is it you ugly piece of shit?" Puck said as he grabbed Abida by the shirt.

"What do you want from me? You're free now." Abida said as he continued to sweat.

Finn cocked his pistol as he continued to point it at his head.

"Okay okay, what do you want to know?" Abida said.

"Where are the nuclear warheads?" Artie said as he slammed his fists on the table.

"I don't know. Saddam never told me." Abida said as Puck loosened his grip.

"Liar." Finn said as he shot him in the leg.

Abida cried out in pain as blood started pouring out of his leg.

"Now I'm going to ask again. Where the fuck are the nukes?" Artie asked.

Finn cocked his pistol again as he pointed it at Abida's leg.

"Alright, Alright. They're in Afghanistan with someone. I don't know who, but that's the truth." Abida said as he held his wound.

"Do you believe him?" Puck asked the others.

"Look at him. He's peeing his pants." Artie said with a laugh.

"So am I free to go then?" Abida asked.

"Good joke. We'll be back." Finn said as he put his gun away and started walking out of the room.

* * *

Artie followed, leaving Puck behind. Puck started to walk out of the room when he started to think. He locked the door and walked back over to Abida.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing, Corporal?" Abida asked as he stood up.

"You know, it's funny how you see things from the other side, isn't it?" Puck asked as he walked over to him.

"I told you where the nukes are." Abida said as he backed towards the corner.

"That doesn't mean shit right now. This is between you and me now, you terrorist piece of shit." Puck said as he cracked his knuckles.

Before Abida could say anything, Puck lunged at him and threw him against the table. He started punching him in his face and stomach until Finn and Artie stormed back into the room.

"Puck, we got what we wanted! Let this douche go. He's going to die soon anyways." Artie said as he pulled him off of Abida.

"No, this asshole tortured me and almost killed me. He's mine." Puck said as he pulled away and continued to punch him.

Abida yelled in pain as he tried to curl into a ball. Finn finally pulled Puck off and took him out of the room. Artie handcuffed Abida to the chair and followed.

"Why did you do that?" Puck asked as he caught his breath.

"Because beating him up isn't going to change anything. We've got a job to do." Finn said as he put his hand on Puck's shoulder.

"Dude, come on. You know he deserves it." Puck said as he pushed Finn's hand off his shoulder.

"Easy dude. I know he deserves it, but think about it. You're safe now and we've got him under arrest." Artie said as he closed the door.

"I know, I know. Okay, let's just get this over with." Puck said as he walked down the hall.

The three of them walked back to the hanger, where they gave the commanding officer the information. After being dismissed, the guys went back to their cots and relaxed for the night.

* * *

The next morning, Artie and Puck assembled another group of men to go with them into Afghanistan, while Finn went to video chat with Quinn. He did the usual routine until Quinn appeared on the monitor.

"Hey baby." Finn said with a smile as he wiped away the tears and sweat.

Quinn remained speechless. It's the first time she's seen or talked to him since he left Ohio for Iraq what seemed like eternity ago. After sitting silently for a few minutes, she managed to talk.

"Hey babe. How's everything over there?" Quinn said with a smile as she picked up Katie.

"Better, now that Puck's back, but now all three of us are going to Afghanistan." Finn said as he looked at the ground.

"Afghan-Afghanistan? But why?" Quinn asked as she looked at him.

"Well, we captured Abida Malik Zaid and according to him, the nuclear warheads that he has are with someone in Afghanistan." Finn said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Will you be home after this?" Quinn asked as more tears started to fall.

"I hope so. I miss you and Katie." Finn said as he blew her a kiss.

"I miss you too, baby. I love you and please be safe over there." Quinn said with a smile.

I love you too and I promise that I'll be safe." He said as he wiped away the sweat.

* * *

Finn blew her one last kiss and signed off. He rejoined Artie and Puck as they finished selecting their troops for the mission. Looking around, Artie noticed that the soldiers were moderately young. Williams, Higgins, Morris, and Martin were amongst the soldiers that were going as well.

"Now, I'm not going to say that this is going to be an easy mission, because it's not. We're not on some search-and-rescue mission or a frontal assault. No, we're finding weapons of mass destruction." Artie said as he paced back and forth in front of the soldiers.

"Yeah, this is the mother-load of all missions. According to our intel, there's a lot of activity near Kabul. I'll be the first to say that I'm excited for this because I'm ready to end this, but we have to be more cautious then ever before. There are a lot more hiding places in Afghanistan. While we don't know who exactly has the nuclear weapons, we do know where to look." Puck said as he stood up from his seat.

Finn studied some of the soldiers and how they reacted. Some of them were anxious to fight, while others were shaking at the thought that they were going to be the ones to find and stop the weapons of mass destruction.

"Finn, do you have anything else to add?" Artie asked.

"Just one thing. I won't deny that this is going to be a hard mission. While we're familiar with the Iraqi form of fighting, these bastards have their own methods. So when we land and start, be on your guard all the time. Hoo-ah?" Finn said.

"Hoo-ah!" The soldiers said in unison as they stood up.

* * *

After the soldiers were dismissed and Puck and Finn went to get some lunch, Artie went over to the computers to try to talk to Brittany. He also did the routine and waited for Brittany to appear. When her face finally popped onto the monitor, Artie almost broke down crying.

"Artie! Oh my God." Brittany said with a smile as she started to cry.

"Hey baby. How are you?" He said as he collected himself.

"Not too good. I can't keep surviving without you here." Brittany said as she wiped away her tears.

"Baby, I'll be home very soon! The three of us have one more mission together." Artie said as he held his hand against the screen.

"You better because you're missing your son's growth. He even said his first word." Brittany said with a smile as she picked Brian off the floor.

"What did he say?" Artie asked as a whole new life filled him.

"Take a listen. Brian, say daddy…daddy." Brittany said as she held her son.

"Da..da…daddy." Brian said as he clapped his hands.

Artie broke down again as he continued to listen to Brian say daddy. After finally calming down, Artie told Brittany how much he loved her and misses her and then signed off.

* * *

He rejoined Finn and Puck, who were finalizing their plans for their attack in Afghanistan.

"This is it, guys. We do this and we're going home." Finn said with a smile as he looked at Puck and Artie.

"You're damn right. I have a wedding waiting for me when I get back." Puck said as he went back to his cot.

"And I have a son who can talk now." Artie said as he followed.

"Good point. Well, we're leaving tomorrow so you guys better get some sleep." Finn said as he walked over to his cot.

The three tried to sleep, but the excitement went through their body and filled them with new hope and dreams at the idea of them preventing weapons of mass destruction to be released.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! I hope you like this chapter as well.**

* * *

The next morning, the troops were woken by a siren ringing throughout the hanger. The soldiers all quickly geared up and waited for instructions from their superiors on what they were going to do. According the one of the Majors, a fire fight has broken out between American troops and Hussein's sons in Mosul. While Finn, Puck, and Artie wanted to assist, they had their own mission in Afghanistan. They gathered their troops and headed for the plane. As Finn took his seat, he could see the Humvees and helicopters take off for Mosul.

"Damn, I wish we could go with them." Finn said as he watched the last Humvee pull out.

"Dude, relax. Our mission's a lot more important. After this, we get to go home." Puck said as he placed his rifle between his legs.

"So where exactly are we going, sir?" Williams asked from the other side of the plane.

"We're going to Kabul International Airport, where we'll be meeting with 75th Ranger Regiment. We'll find out where we're going from there." Finn said as he looked over at him.

The plane finally rolled down the runway and began to take off. The plane ride was about 3 hours long, so Artie took out a picture of Brittany and their son and started to smile as he replayed the memory of listening to his son say his first word. Puck looked at his daughter's drawing and his picture of Santana and Rebecca and fought back the urge to cry after all he's been through. Finn just looked out of the window and smiled as he pictured Quinn and their daughter in his head.

* * *

Along the way, the privates were laughing about how Morris had an Irish accent, while he pleaded that it was from him living in Boston. Finn and Puck were catching up some more after all the lost time they had from when Finn was shot to all the way when they rescued Puck. Artie watched as the desert terrain of Iraq quickly changed into the rocky and hilly terrain of Afghanistan. After awhile, Artie started passing the time by rapping in his head. Higgins noticed Artie bobbing his head and started laughing.

"Sir, what are you doing?" He asked with a grin.

"Just doing some raps in my head." Artie said as he looked over at him.

"You rap?" Martin asked with a laugh.

"Yeah and I was pretty legit in high school too. Just ask Finn and Puck." Artie said with a small laugh.

"He was pretty legit. Don't underestimate him, privates." Finn said with a grin.

"Prove it, sir. Rap for us." Williams said as he leaned forward.

"Alright, who do you want me to rap?" Artie asked with a laugh.

"Kanye West." Martin said.

"Kid Cudi." Higgins said.

"Snoop Dogg." Williams said with a laugh.

"I don't care. I'm not a fan of rap." Morris said as he tilted his hat and dozed off.

"Alright alright. I've got one." Artie said as he took his i-Pod out and started playing the music.

_Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
__Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!_

_Have you ever had the feeling that you was being had__  
__Don't that shit that make you mad__  
__They treat you like a slave, with chains all on your soul,__  
__and put whips up on your back,__  
__they be lying through they teeth__  
__hope you slip up off your path__  
__I don't switch up I just laugh__  
__put my kicks up on they desk__  
__unaffected by they threats than get busy on they ass__  
__see that's how that Chi-Town made me__  
__That's how my daddy raised me__  
__that glittering may not be gold, don't let no body play me__  
__if you are my homeboy, you never have to pay me__  
__Go on and put your hands up, when times are hard you stand up__  
__L-U-P the man, cause a brand that the fans trust__  
__so even if they ban us they'll never slow my plans up!__  
_

_Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
__Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!_

_One in the air for the people that ain't here__  
__Two in the air for the father that's there__  
__Three in the air for the kids in the ghetto__  
__Four for the kids who don't wanna be there__  
__None for the niggas trying to hold them back__  
__Five in the air for the teacher not scared to tell those kids thats living in the ghetto that the niggas holdin back that the World is theirs!__  
__Yeah yeah, the World is yours, I was once that little boy__  
__Terrified of the World__  
__Now I'm on a World tour__  
__I will give up everything, even start a world war__  
__for these ghettos girls and boys im rapping round' the World for!__  
__Africa to New York, Haiti then I detour, Oakland out to Auckland__  
__Gaza Strip to Detroit, say hip-hop only destroy__  
__tell em' look at me, boy!__  
__I hope your son don't have a gun and never be a D-boy__  
_

_Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
__Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
_

_So no matter what you been through__  
__no matter what you into__  
__no matter what you see when you look outside your window__  
__brown grass or green grass__  
__picket fence or barbed wire__  
__Never ever put them down__  
__you just lift your arms higher__  
__raise em till' your arms tired__  
__Let em' know you're there__  
__That you struggling and survivin' that you gonna persevere__  
__Yeah, ain't no body leavin, no body goin' home__  
__even if they turn the lights out the show is goin' on!_

_Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
__Alright, already the show goes on__  
__all night, till the morning we dream so long__  
__anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up__  
__just remember when you come up__  
__the show goes on!__  
_

"I feel whiter then I did before listening to you rap." Finn said with a laugh as he dozed off for a little.

* * *

Artie continued to talk to the others as the plane continued to fly towards Kabul. After 30 minutes, they started to descend towards the airport. As the plane touched down, Puck noticed that Kabul International Airport was way better then Baghdad's. The soldiers grabbed their things as the plane slowed down. After a few minutes, the plane came to a halt and the back ramp opened up.

"Alright guys. Let's do this." Finn said as he walked down first.

The others followed him as he led them to one of the hangers. They noticed the increase in helicopters and Humvees, as well as tanks and transport trucks, compared to back in Iraq. Also, the increase in troops as well. Finn led them inside where they found one of the Majors writing something on the board.

"Excuse me, sir. Sergeant Finn Hudson reporting from Iraq here." Finn said as he saluted.

The Major turned around, leaving Finn, Puck, and Artie speechless. Major Heyward was stationed in Kabul, months after the guys left Basic Training. He still looked the same as far as they remembered.

"Ah, so you're a sergeant now. Well congratulations, but I have to ask, why are you here in Afghanistan?" Major Heyward said.

Finn was still shocked by seeing him again.

"I, uh…we, uh….we're hear because we're following a lead that someone's holding the weapons of mass destruction. We captured Abida Malik Zaid and he told us that he gave the weapons to someone in Afghanistan." Finn said.

"Well, welcome to the club. I've been trying to find the same thing after we noticed a large amount of people fleeing the city. Our sources say the Taliban have planted something in the heart of the city, but the place is covered with road side bombs. We can't get to is." Major Heyward said as he walked over to the map.

"Major Heyward? Here?" Puck whispered to Artie.

Artie didn't pay attention to him as he walked over to the map and started looking at it. Major Heyward pointed out all of the locations where his troops have found road side bombs and then showed them the ones that exploded. Artie instantly became more and more interested, after he recalled his explosives training in his Basic Training for the Marines. After Major Heyward finished talking, the guys were dismissed for a little so they could rest before they move out.

"Road side bombs? We haven't seen those in Iraq yet, which is surprising." Puck said with a laugh.

"That's because they've been taken care of before we got there. Get some rest. We're leaving in three hours." Artie said as he lay in one of the cots.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Let me start off by apologizing for this REALLY long hiatus for me writing new chapters. Things have been crazy with exam week, graduation, work...my microsoft word has been deleted. You name it, it probably happened. Anyways, the good news is that I'm back and it's time to get back into writing. Thank you guys for sticking with me and all of the amazing reviews and PMs you've given me. Hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

Puck and Finn tossed and turned as they napped, while Artie plotted the routes they'd be taking to get to the roadside bombs in his head. Major Heyward ordered one of the soldiers to bring Artie a bomb suit just in case they needed it. Artie couldn't take it anymore. He climbed out of his cot and talked to Major Heyward, telling him about his plans. Major Heyward quickly fell in love with them. After several more minutes passed, the plans were set and they were ready to move out. Artie woke up the others and the group climbed into the Humvees and helicopters. Only a few tanks followed as they prepared their attack on the city.

"So what did you and Major Heyward talk about?" Finn asked as he stretched in his seat.

"Oh...um nothing. Just doing some catching up, you know." Artie said as he turned and looked out of the window.

Puck shot a look over at Finn and then at Artie. Letting out a small cough, Puck stood up and manned the turret, avoiding the awkward conversation that was forming.

"_2 miles from the city. ETA 5 minutes._" Finn heard on his radio.

"_Echo 3-9, we have reports of possible roadside bombs 200 yards from your position just outside of the west gate. Approach with caution or find a different route into the city. It's your call._" Command said.

"Command, this is Echo 3-9. We're going to attempt to disarm the bombs." Artie said over the radio.

"_Roger, Echo 3-9. Be careful out there. Command out._" Command said.

"Are you fucking kidding? Are you trying to get us killed?" Finn asked as he looked at Artie.

"No. I know what I'm doing, alright? Just trust me." Artie said as the driver slowed down.

The Humvees all stopped in a line as Artie climbed out first. Finn and Puck drew the weapons and began surveying the area while Artie put on the bomb suit. More soldiers climbed out of their vehicles and helped survey the area. After a few minutes, Artie slowly began making his way down the road, following a red cord that stuck out of the ground, next to the pavement.

"10 yards...20 yards...30 yards...40 yards...Hello, beautiful." Artie said with a grin as he continued to follow the line until it stopped 50 yards away from the others.

"_Artie, what's going on over there?_" Finn asked over the radio.

Artie didn't answer at first. He began digging around until he struck a large metal object.

"Jackpot." Artie said with a small laugh as he slowly picked it up.

As he began to defuse the bomb, he noticed another red line leading away from the bomb. Quickly finishing defusing, Artie grabbed the line and began following it.

"Finn, I've got more. Keep me covered for a little bit longer." Artie said over the radio.

"_10-4. We've got you._" Finn said as he continued to look around.

"What do we have here..." Artie said to himself as he stumbled came across a series of red lines tied together.

As he pulled the middle, six or seven bombs came up out of the ground. Artie's eyes widened as one of the bombs had a small ticking sound to it. The sound grew faster and faster.

"Finn, get everyone inside the Humvees and get the fuck out of here." Artie yelled over the radio as he turned and started running towards them.

The ticking continued to grow faster and faster as Artie put some distance between him and the bombs. Finally the ticking stopped and a large explosion erupted right behind him, sending Artie flying towards the Humvees. The soldiers shielded their eyes as the large fireball consumed the air.

* * *

Puck and Finn quickly regained composure and saw Artie laying face-first on the pavement. They quickly sprinted over to him, while the other soldiers gave them coverage.

"Command, this is Echo 3-9. We've got a man down-" Finn started to say but was quickly stopped by Artie pushing himself over to his back.

"Never again..." Artie said as he took off his helmet.

"You dumb bastard. You could've gotten yourself killed." Finn yelled as he helped Artie up.

As they slowly made their way back to the Humvees, bullets started whistling passed the them. The soldiers began opening fire as Artie quickly changed and grabbed his weapon. Finn and Puck already began firing into the hillside as the engines to the Humvees started up. No one knew just where the bullets were coming from though.

"Let's move out." Puck yelled as he watched soldiers stop firing and climbed into their vehicles.

Finn, Artie, and Puck were the last to climb in. Soldiers climbed onto their turrets and fired, however, they still didn't know where the bullets were coming from. One bullet pierced the passenger window, hitting one of the soldiers in the neck. Another soldier, sitting right next to Artie, took a bullet into one of his eyes, killing him instantly.

"Get us the fuck out of here!" Finn yelled as he took over in the turret.

"_Echo 3-9, be advised. There are 300 + foot soldiers over the horizon. Get into Kabul and find the weapons quickly._" Command said.

"Command, where's our God damn support fire?" Puck yelled into his radio.

"_Echo 3-9, we're sending an AC-130 your way. ETA, 20 minutes._" Command said.

"Fuck this. We won't be alive in 20 minutes. Get us into the city quickly." Artie said as he fired out of the broken window.

* * *

The Humvees pressed forward, barely avoiding roadside bombs as they exploded behind them. The sound of tank fire could be heard as they finally entered the city. The streets were baron and covered with burnt garbage and rubble. There was an occasional dead body as they pulled into the middle of the city.

"Is it weird that we haven't seen a single person yet and we're in the heart of the city? Not good!" One of the soldiers said as he gripped his assault rifle.

"Easy there, killer. Don't jinx us." Another soldier said as beads of sweat ran down his face.

"Both of you shut up and stay alert. Be ready for anything." Finn said as he slowly climbed out of his vehichle.

* * *

**I'm sorry this chapter's kind of small. Again, I'm sort of easing my way back into this, so PLEASE bare with me. For those who caught this chapter, I've used a lot of this from the movie The Hurt Locker. I love that movie so much and thought it'd be a great addition to my story. Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are always perfect.**


	29. Chapter 29

**So I'd like to apologize again for not posting in awhile. It's been hard finding time to start writing again with work over the summer and now school. However, I'll try to post whenever I can. Anyways, this is my first chapter since forever. I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

Finn, Puck, and Artie split from the other soldiers and began searching through buildings, while the other soldiers held the perimeter. As the three wandered down the street, the stench of dead bodies began to unbearable. They quickly turned around and headed down a side street behind what they assumed was a deli shop.

"You know, if these people learned to speak fucking English, none of this would've happened." Puck mumbled as he kicked a rock down the street.

"What are you talking about? I don't think speaking a certain language has to do with anything, especially when it comes to war." Artie said as he looked through opened windows.

"It has everything to do with war. We could just negotiate the hell out of them to get them to give over their weapons." Puck continued to say.

"Puck, you're an idiot." Artie said as they continued down the side street.

"_Echo 3-9. What is your position?_" Command asked.

"Command, this is Echo 3-9. We're half a mile from our Humvees inside of Kabul." Finn said over the radio.

"_Echo 3-9, you need to get your squad and get out of the city. The AC-130's are circling above and they're _giving_ you ten minutes to clear out before they attack._" Command said.

"But what about the weaspons?" Finn yelled over the radio.

"_Echo 3-9, you've been given your orders. Get your soldiers and get out of the cities._" Command said.

"What the fuck?" Puck said as he followed the flustered Finn and Artie.

* * *

The three quickly sprinted back to the Humvees, where they were greeted by a barrage of bullets and explosions. Quickly realizing that they were pinned down, Finn ordered the others to get out of the city, leaving the three to divert the fire away from the vehicles. Artie broke away from the three and sprinted down the street, buying the vehicles more time. Puck and Finn slowly followed, covering Artie as the Afghan soldiers opened fire at them.

"Why do we always have to be the heroes?" Finn said to himself as a bullet whizzed past his head.

"Okay guys, this is not fun anymore!" Artie yelled down the street.

"Artie! Watch out!" Puck yelled as a rocket shot towards him from the rooftops.

He and Finn stopped firing and sprinted towards Artie just as the rocket exploded a few feet away, sending him flying. Finn reached him first and pulled him into a garage, as Puck covered him.

"Artie...Artie...ARTIE!" Finn yelled as he held Artie close.

After a few minutes of silence, except for the occasional explosion, Artie opened his eyes. Rolling out of Finn's arms, he threw up and sat up.

"I told you guys this was not fun anymore." Artie whispered as he looked at their facial expressions.

"Why can't you ever stay away from explosions?" Finn said with a small laugh as he handed Artie his things.

"Well, if I had better coverage of my ass, I wouldn't be in this situation." Artie said as he looked at him.

"Watch it or I'll shoot you in the ass." Puck said as he looked outside.

"Thanks tool-bag." Artie said as he slowly stood up.

"Okay, we need to get to a safer spot then some dude's cheap-ass garage." Finn said as he grabbed his things and led the way.

* * *

As soon as they stepped out of the garage, the AC-130's began unleashing their rounds on the city. Buildings began to crumble, cars exploded, and screams rang throughout the streets. Puck, Finn, and Artie sprinted towards a well constructed coffee shop and ran down to the basement until the mayhem ceased.

Finn and Artie both pulled out pictures of their wives and their kids, while Puck gripped his rifle and looked out of the small window looking out at a park. Almost without any hesitation, his life flashed before his eyes as he watched as a family tried to escape.

"Puck, are you okay?" Artie asked as he looked up at him.

Puck remained motionless. All he could think about is the suffering he's gone through ever since he joined the military, the family he's left behind and the hardships he's had to deal with along the way. Shrugging off being ignored, Artie walked back to Finn.

Ignoring the other two, Puck continued to look outside and began to replay the same song he always sang when he needed to calm down.

* * *

_A lonely road, crossed another cold state line  
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find  
While I recall all the words you spoke to me  
Can't help but wish that I was there  
Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah_

Dear God the only thing I ask of you is  
to hold her when I'm not around  
when I'm much too far away  
We all need that person who can be true to you  
But I left her when I found her  
And now I wish I'd stayed  
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired  
I'm missing you again oh no  
Once again

There's nothing here for me on this barren road  
There's no one here while the city sleeps  
and all the shops are closed  
Can't help but think of the times I've had with you  
Pictures and some memories will have to help me through, oh yeah

Dear God the only thing I ask of you is  
to hold her when I'm not around  
when I'm much too far away  
We all need that person who can be true to you  
I left her when I found her  
And now I wish I'd stayed  
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired  
I'm missing you again oh no  
Once again

Some search, never finding a way  
Before long, they waste away  
I found you, something told me to stay  
I gave in, to selfish ways  
And how I miss someone to hold  
when hope begins to fade...

A lonely road, crossed another cold state line  
Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find

Dear God the only thing I ask of you is  
to hold her when I'm not around  
when I'm much too far away  
We all need the person who can be true to you  
I left her when I found her  
And now I wish I'd stayed  
'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired  
I'm missing you again oh no  
Once again  


* * *

Artie and Finn, noticing Puck was singing something, watched as Puck's expression went from blank to completely re-energized.

"Should we say something to him?" Artie asked Finn.

"Naw, he'll be okay. You know he's going to go gun-blazing either way, so it's better not to try to settle him down." Finn said with a grin.

While it was a scary thought about Puck's attitude, Finn and Artie both knew they were better off having him like that.

* * *

**So this is my first chapter in awhile. Reviews are always perfect!**


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